Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to Tom S. Smith.
Since the 13 th Working Meeting of the Polar Bear Specialist Group the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has seen the completion of many research projects and the start of many new ones. Much has been accomplished and yet we have new challenges awaiting us. This report summarises our focal questions and progress in those areas.
We describe several encounters between Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) and Gray Wolves ( Canis lupus ) that were observed at Katmai National Park and Preserve in southwest Alaska. Katmai Brown Bears and Gray Wolves were observed interacting in a variety of behavioral modes that ranged from agonistic to tolerant. These observations provide additional insight regarding the behavioral plasticity associated with bear-wolf interactions.
Many bear-human conflicts have occurred in Alaska parks and refuges, resulting in area closures, property damage, human injury, and loss of life. Human activity in bear country has also had negative and substantial consequences for bears: disruption of their natural activity patterns, displacement from important habitats, injury, and death. It is unfortunate for both people and bears when conflicts occur. Fortunately, however, solutions exist for reducing, and in some instances eliminating, bear-human conflict. This article presents ongoing work at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service scientists who are committed to finding solutions for the bear-human conflicts that periodically occurs there.
Humans in brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) country may unexpectedly encounter hears with sometimes harmful consequences. Firearms may be an effective defense, but they destroy bears, their use is illegal in most national parks, and many people prefer not to carry them, Consequently, nonlethal bear deterrents have long been sought as a means of self-defense against bear attacks. In the 1970s a liquid spray containing oleoresin capsicum (the chief irritant in red peppers) was developed. This mixture could be defensively discharged at aggressive bears (Herrero and Higgins 1995), and today, several commercially manufactured products, generically called "red pepper spray," are sold for the purpose of deterring aggressive bear attacks. Many hikers, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts carry this spray for self-defense in bear country Additionally, some states (eg, Wyoming) and many national parks (e.g., Glacier National Park) highly recommend that back-country users carry red pepper spray for use in an aggressive beat encounter. Herrero and Higgins (1998) found that red pepper spray was effective in halting aggressive brown bear behavior in 88% (1 of 16) of incidents studied. However, red pepper spray is not claimed to be a bear repellent when applied to objects. Nonetheless, instances have been reported of people applying red pepper spray to objects and around campsites in order to repel curious bears. The impetus for this study came from an observation I made of a bear rolling vigorously on beach gravels that had been accidentally sprayed with red pepper spray. To further investigate brown bear reaction to red pepper spray residues, I conducted systematic observations of bear responses to spray discharged at selected sites. I discuss those findings and their implications in this report.
I systematically observed brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) and human activity on a sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka ) stream in Katmai National Park during fall 1993 and 1995. More than 700 hours of observations were used to determine the temporal and spatial use patterns by people and bears as well as the frequency, nature, and outcome of bear-human interactions. Bears altered their temporal and spatial use of the river to accommodate human activity, seeking times and places where human use was lowest. Bear-human interactions were primarily the result of people venturing into areas of concentrated bear activity, rather than bears entering areas heavily used by people. Approximately one-fourth of bears involved in bear-human interactions left the river, not to return for several hours. Bears acted differently in river zones dominated by people than in zones dominated by bears in that they spent less time on the river, less time resting, and more time moving about in human-dominated zones. The data suggest that as long as there are areas where bears can avoid human activity, they will seek them to gain access to salmon. If, however, human use of the river continues to increase as it has the past decade, the day may come when there will be no more room for bears.