BisonIn central Montana, there is an attempt underway to create the largest bison herd in the world. Bison have been termed by some as a keystone species on the Great Plains, driving the structure and function of the prairie ecosystem. However, there are concerns regarding the impacts of year-round bison grazing and its potential impacts on grassland plants. We are evaluating the impact bison restoration has on plant community dynamics both now, and with the establish long-term monitoring plots, long into the future.
Project collaborators: Bureau of Land Management, American Prairie, Smithsonian Institution
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Related scientific papers:
Yu, S.W., K.E. Kunkel, D.L. Hagan and D.S. Jachowski. 2023. Evaluating riparian plant communities after restoration of plains bison in the Northern Great Plains of Montana. Rangeland Ecology and Management 90:186-194. McMillan, N.A., K.E. Kunkel, D.L. Hagan and D.S. Jachowski. 2020. Assessing large herbivore management strategies in the Northern Great Plains using rangeland health metrics. Natural Areas Journal 40:273-280. McMillan, N.A., K.E. Kunkel, D.L. Hagan and D.S. Jachowski. 2019. Plant community responses to bison reintroduction on the Northern Great Plains, USA: A test of the keystone species concept. Restoration Ecology 27:379-388. |
Restoring multi-carnivore systemsThe Great Plains were once home to the plains Grizzly bear, grey wolf and mountain lion. Of those species, the mountain lion is the first to recolonize, navigating from strongholds in the Rocky Mountains out onto the prairie. We studied how mountain lions are recolonizing the Great Plains to gain insight into their movement behavior and how other large carnivores could potentially find their way back.
More recently, we led a collaborative, interdisciplinary project that links ecological and human dimensions data to identify socio-ecological suitability of habitats for mountain lions and many other species subject to or on the precipice of restoration efforts in the region. The goal being to provide tools to enhance the future of success of restoring wildlife across this landscape. Project collaborators: Clemson Institute for Parks, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Related popular articles: So much more than habitat: How the intersection of wildlife ecology and social science can improve human-wildlife conflict management - Western Confluence |
Related scientific papers:
Titus, K., K. Bly, A.F. Jakes, and D.S. Jachowski. 2026. A spatial socio-ecological framework for targeting multi-species restoration across multi-use landscapes. Biological Conservation 316:111727. Titus, K. and D.S. Jachowski. 2025. Mapping human-carnivore coexistence: Approaches to integrating anthropogenic influences on carnivore distribution and connectivity modeling. Animal Conservation 28:185-196. Titus, K.L., K. Bly, A.F. Jakes, and D.S. Jachowski. 2024. The human side of rewilding: Attitudes towards multi-species restoration at the public-private land nexus. Biological Conservation 294:110652. Jachowski, D.S., M.J. Aguerre, G. Lascano, K. Titus, and T. Scott. 2022. Using multidisciplinary, conflict-based experiential learning to train students on how to address controversy at the public-private land interface. North American College Teachers of Agriculture Journal. 66:37-45. Gigliotti, L.C., M.R. Matchett, and D.S. Jachowski. 2019. Mountain lions on the prairie: Habitat selection by recolonizing mountain lions at the edge of their range. Restoration Ecology 27:1032-1040. |
Swift foxOver the past decade we have been working with colleagues in the US and Canada on the successful restoration of swift fox populations in northern Montana. Despite being successfully reintroduced in Canada over 3 decade ago, swift fox are rarely observed in this region which serves as a critical link between the population in southern Canada and established populations to the south in South Dakota and Wyoming. We have conducted tracking studies of swift foxes and deploying a wide camera trap array to begin to address what limits the recovery of connectivity between these populations.
In 2020, we became involved in efforts to help restore swift for to Ft. Belknap Reservation which is the homeland of A’aniiih and Nakota communities. If successful, this reintroduction effort could be key to connecting northern and southern existing population of swift fox in the Northern Great Plains. Project collaborators: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Calgary Zoo, Bureau of Land Management, Ft. Belknap Indian Community, Smithsonian Institution Related popular articles:
Swift foxes’ return to Tribal land will connect populations - The Wildlife Society Swift fox go west - Sierra Club Magazine New video by Smithsonian profiling swift fox reintroduction efforts we are proud to contribute in a small way to on Ft. Belknap Clemson doctoral student helping continent’s smallest canids return to indigenous lands - Clemson University Cool video by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on our collaborative project to restore swift fox to Ft. Belknap After 51 years, swift foxes return to the grasslands of Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana - World Wildlife Fund Searching for swift foxes - Montana Outdoors Swift fox can't outfox habitat fragmentation - The Wildlife Society |
Related scientific papers:
Nelson, D.L., H. Shamon, W.J. McShea, M. Songer, N. Songasen, J.L. Alexander, K.R. Todd, A. Moehrenschlager, T.C. Vosburgh, T. Messerly, and D.S. Jachowski. 2025. Post-release settlement and resource selection by reintroduced swift fox. Restoration Ecology 33:e71020. Nelson, D., C. Marneweck, W.J. McShea, H. Shamon, and D.S. Jachowski. 2024. Predicted future range expansion of a small carnivore: swift fox in North America. Landscape Ecology 39:164. Butler, A., K. Bly, H. Harris, B. Inman, A. Moehrenschlager, D. Schwalm, and D. Jachowski. 2021. Life on the edge: Habitat fragmentation limits recovery of a reintroduced carnivore. Animal Conservation 24:108-119. Butler, A., K. Bly, H. Harris, B. Inman, A. Moehrenschlager, D. Schwalm, and D.S. Jachowski. 2020. Home range size and resource utilization by swift fox in northeastern Montana. Journal of Mammalogy 101:684-696. Butler, A., K. Bly, H. Harris, B. Inman, A. Moehrenschlager, D. Schwalm, and D.S. Jachowski. 2019. Winter movement behavior by swift foxes (Vulpes velox) at the northern edge of their range. Canadian Journal of Zoology 97:922-930. |
BeaversOnce the most highly sought after species on the Great Plains during the height of the fur trade, beavers were nearly extirpated from much of the American West by the late 19th century. Successfully recovered in portions of their range, beavers have not yet recolonized large portions of the Northern Great Plains. We are working with scientists in central Montana to understand how recolonizing beavers are impacting the ecosystem.
In addition, people are actively working in the Great Plains to replicate the lost impacts of beavers through the creation of beaver dam analogues and other low tech devices that help hold back water and alter riparian ecosystems in beaver-like ways. We are working with partners to better understand the effectiveness of these devices and how the insect and bird communities are responding to these human-made structures. Project collaborators: Smithsonian Institution |
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Black-footed ferretSince 1999 our lab group has been involved in trying to recover the most critically endangered carnivore in North America, the black-footed ferret. Our research to aid in ferret recovery has spanned a diversity of topics, including the ecology of black-footed ferrets:
conserving and restoring prairie dog populations they rely on, particularly in the face of disease (sylvatic plague)
and most recently human attitudes towards ferrets and prairie dogs:
Recent popular press about this work:
Why protecting very large swaths of land matters for wildlife - PBS Newshour In protecting land for wildlife, size matters – here’s what it takes to conserve very large areas - The Conversation |
Book
Jachowski, D.S. 2014. Wild Again: The Struggle to Save the Black-footed Ferret. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. Other related scientific papers Jachowski, D.S., S.N. Harris, A. Jensen, M.P. Keating, M.S. Muthersbaugh, D. Nelson, B. Pruitt, E. Rosales, E. Saldo and K. Titus. 2024. Assessing the space between science and practice in endangered species conservation. Biological Conservation 293:110609. Jachowski, D.S. 2023. Why conservation cloning won't save endangered species. BioScience 73:5. Titus, K., and D.S. Jachowski. 2021. Persistent negative stakeholder perspectives limit recovery of a critically endangered carnivore. Conservation Science and Practice 3:e526. Eads, D.A., D.S. Jachowski, J.J. Millspaugh and D.E. Biggins. 2012. Importance of lunar and temporal conditions for spotlight surveys of adult black-footed ferrets. Western North American Naturalist 72:179-190. Eads, D.A., D.S. Jachowski, D.E. Biggins, T.M. Livieri, M.R. Matchett and J.J. Millspaugh. 2012 Resource selection models are useful in predicting distributions of black-footed ferrets in prairie dog colonies. Western North American Naturalist 72:206-215. Jachowski, D.S. 2011. The Sentimental Ecologist. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9:575-576. Eads, D.A., J.J. Millspaugh, D.E. Biggins, T.M. Livieri, and D.S. Jachowski. 2011. Post-breeding resource selection by adult black-footed ferrets in Conata Basin, South Dakota. Journal of Mammalogy 92:760-770. Eads, D.A., D.E. Biggins, J.J. Millspaugh, D.S. Jachowski and T.M. Livieri. 2011. Evaluation of a black-footed ferret resource utilization function model. Journal of Wildlife Management 75:1155-1163. Eads, D.A., D.E. Biggins, D.S. Jachowski, T.M. Livieri, J.J. Millspaugh and M. Forsberg. 2010. Morning ambush attacks by black-footed ferrets on emerging prairie dogs. Ethology, Ecology and Evolution 22:1-8. Jachowski, D.S. and J.M. Lockhart. 2009. Reintroducing black-footed ferrets to the Great Plains of North America. Small Carnivore Conservation 41:58-64. Jachowski, D.S., J.J. Millspaugh, D.E. Biggins, T.L. Livieri and M.R. Matchett. 2008. Implications of black-tailed prairie dog spatial dynamics on black-footed ferrets. Natural Areas Journal 28:14-25. Jachowski, D.S. 2007. Notes on black-footed ferret detectability and behavior. The Prairie Naturalist 39:97-102. |