Desert Bighorn Zoogeography and Adaptation in Relation to Historic Land Use
Mccutchen HE. 1981. Desert Bighorn Zoogeography and Adaptation in Relation to Historic Land Use. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 9(3):171-179
Desert bighorns (Ovis canadensis spp.) are misunderstood subspecies because of a lack of awareness of their evolutionary history and of their ecological needs created by human-related impacts. Paleoecology, zoogeography, and the history of land use in the North American deserts indicate that desert bighorns are secondary relicts created by the impacts of European settlement. There is ample evidence that desert bighorns are morphologically, physiologically, and behaviorally adapted to desert environments. Management opportunities exist for desert bighorn population increases, if their needs are considered in land-use allocations, and if adequate political and financial support is provided.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Mccutchen, Henry
- Units
- DEVA
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Abundance (Biodiversity), Anthropogenic, Artiodactyla (Even-Toed Ungulates), Bovidae (Bovids), Distribution (Biodiversity), Grazing, Habitat, Indicator Species, Mammalia (Mammals), Ovis canadensis (Bighorn Sheep), Population Decline, Presence (Biodiversity), secondary relics, Taxa Links To Datasets, Taxa Links To References