2008 Alaska Park Science Symposium
October 14, 2008
Monitoring Dall's Sheep Abundance and Distribution in the Central and Western Brooks Range, Alaska
Kumi Rattenbury1, Jim Lawler2
1National Park Service, Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK, 99709, USA, Phone 907-455-0673, kumi_rattenbury@nps.gov
2National Park Service, Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK, 99709, USA, Phone 907-455-0624, jim_lawler@nps.gov
The Brooks Range in Alaska (67° to 68° 45’ N) is the northernmost extent of Dall’s sheep range (Ovis dalli). Most of the suitable sheep habitat in the central and western Brooks Range is within National Park Service units, specifically Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Noatak National Preserve, and Kobuk Valley National Park. Monitoring Dall’s sheep abundance and distribution for these parks is a priority for the NPS Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring program. Dall’s sheep are relatively sedentary compared with many large mammals in the region such as caribou, and population changes may be linked to local environmental conditions. They are also a management priority because of their value for subsistence, sport hunting and wildlife viewing. Aerial surveys based on stratified random sampling of survey units were conducted in June and July of 2005, 2006, and 2007 to obtain population estimates for the region. Initial estimates (±95% CI) for the region (~41,000 km2 sheep habitat) are 9950 (±2568) in 2005, 9304 (±3265) in 2006, and 8115 (±3134) in 2007 based on the minimum count for the survey years. Sheep densities were highest in the Baird Mountains of Noatak National Preserve and in eastern Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. A long-term monitoring protocol and sample design will be developed to detect changes in abundance and distribution of sheep while being robust enough to deal with the difficulties of surveying in this remote area.
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