Edward Olexa's Research Projects

Ecology of Elk on Department of the Interior Lands in Southwest Wyoming

NPS- Fossil Butte National Monument

Research at Fossil Butte National Monument began in 2005 at the request of federal and state resource managers. Concern over increased use of the Monument by elk and possible resource damage lead to the current cooperative effort lead by the USGS and supported by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and US Forest Service. This research is funded by the USGS- Natural Resources Preservation Program and has received additional funding from the USGS, NPS, and WGFD. Our current focus is to identify spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the West Green River elk herd for use in population management and resource protection. We hope to use the information collected to facilitate future research into the relationships among habitat quality, management practices, and ungulate distributions.

BLM- Kemmerer Field Office

Research focused on assessing elk response to BLM management activities began in late 2006. This pilot effort is funded primarily by the BLM- Challenge Grant Program. The USGS and WGFD have provided additional funding and project support. Our current focus is to collect baseline information on elk spatial ecology and quantify elk response to management activities (e.g., prescribed fire, sagebrush treatment, and grazing) as indicated by changes in spatial and temporal distribution characteristics. We are currently pursuing additional funding to increase sampling effort and hope to use the information collected to facilitate future research similar to that proposed for adjacent NPS lands.