ENCS407 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Plains Bison, Pronghorn, Rangeland

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Environmental and Conservation Sciences
• Course: ENCS407
• Professor: Lisa Raatz

Document Summary

Current rangeland condition affected by 2 things: pre european grazing, livestock introduction patterns, americas: populated with sophisticated aboriginal societies. Ungulates: pronghorn, woods bison & plains bison. Ppl distribution: 10-100 mill in the americas, 1-10 mill in na. Indigenous population change: pestilence, warfare, population, social, cultural & military collapse, pop. decline of 50-90% within 1st century after contact. Indigenous military disadvantages: spanish fever, transfer of control, weapons, animal domestication, social hierarchy, 1877: battle of little big horn. On rangeland animals: 2 eras of bison extirpation, 1730-1832: wave in front of civilization, 1832-1883: systematic destruction. Pronghorn different pattern than bison lasted longer (1910) reasons for decline: over grazing + cross fencing, hunting and civilization, bison extirpation, natural mortality. Livestock firsts: 1521: spanish calves to mexico, 1600: horse escapes spanish control, 1865: golden age of ranching begins.