Developing New Strategies to Manage Mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon) in Hawaii

The objectives of this research are to develop more efficient population monitoring methods and control strategies for mouflon sheep, including population surveys, barriers, attractants, and a coordinated adaptive control strategy. A key element of this research will be determining major social behavior patterns as they affect aggregation and visibility to resource managers.

Long-term goals of this research are to understand the population ecology and social behavior of a wild herbivore in an environment in which it did not evolve.

Key elements of the research include:
Historical information used to calculate population trends indicated the apparent rate of population increase to be 21.1%. Ground-based surveys of lambs suggest upper biological limit to annual population increase of 33.1% under existing environmental conditions. Without control, the population can be expected to double every 3 to 4 years.

Future research questions include how alien herbivore species establish high abundance and come to dominate landscapes in which they did not evolve.

	Contact: Steven C. Hess, Ph.D. Wildlife Biologist USGS- Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center Kilauea Field Station PO Box 44, Bldg 344 Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718 808-967-7396 x 286 Steve_hess@usgs.gov Publication: Hess, S., B. Kawakami, D. Okita, and K. Medeiros. 2006. A preliminary assessment of mouflon abundance at the Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. US Geological Survey Open File Report OF 2006-1193. Also available in .pdf -- (PDF--download a free copy of Adobe Reader)