Wildlife Health Initiatives in Yellowstone National Park
Cross P and Plumb G. 2007. Wildlife Health Initiatives in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Science. 15(2):4-7
Wildlife and their parasites do not recognize political or jurisdictional boundaries and, as a result, national parks are not immune to the environmental changes occurring around them. Habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, introductions of invasive species, and climate change all have direct impacts on the many wildlife species that move across park boundaries. These disturbances are also likely to affect parasite communities and wildlife health. In particular, encroachment of native landscapes by people, pets, and livestock may increase the frequency with which alien invasive parasite species are introduced. Mange, canine parvovirus, brucellosis, chronic wasting disease, whirling disease, and chytrid fungus are all examples of the pathogen pollution that is occurring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). (A pathogen is any disease-producing agent, especially a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism)
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Cross, Paul; Plumb, Glenn
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- Disease, General Wildlife Health Studies, Managment, Wildlife Health