Wild Bison Reference Project

From Wildbison

Current revision as of 03:09, 6 August 2007

A Collaborative Bibliography for the Conservation, Management and Advocacy of Wild Bison [Bison Bison]

Though driven nearly to extinction in the 19th century, wild bison can still be found in various public and private conservation herds around Canada and The US.

The elements associated with managing wild bison have created considerable conflict over the years, especially in and around Yellowstone National Park.

The management of these herds is an issue that involves a wide variety of stake-holders; government agencies, tribal organizations, NGOs, citizens groups, industry and local residents.

The purpose of this project is to create a comprehensive bibliography of scientific literature related to the North American bison, it's habitat and management.

It is hoped that this tool can be used to facilitate a more collaborative approach to the policy and management process and ensure a bright future of wild bison in North America.

Though greatly assisted by Buffalo Field Campaign, the purpose of this project is not to present a specific political opinion regarding the management of wild bison, but to provide a tool that can be used by all stake-holders to craft wiser management solutions.

New: If you are a university student or employee or belong to a research organization you may have access to some of the papers that are linked to from this site. Otherwise, you may not be able to read them. However, there is a handful of papers available to read online for free, and I have created a page listing these sites at Full_Text_Online. Go here if you are a member of the general public looking for bison papers to read.

I've been working on a List of Wild Bison Herds, both public and private, and have also created an online map showing the location of these herds. Check it out and see what you think. Email kalanubuffalo at yahoo dot com if you have any questions or comments, or use the discussion tab at the top of the relevant page.

Using This Website

The Wild Bison Reference Project website uses software called MediaWiki. A Wiki is a type of website that allows for easy editing by any number of participants without the need to register as a user. This allows for greater collaboration. There are a few basis tags to learn when using a Wiki, though it is not as complicated as HTML, and for the purposes of this project, does not require a high degree of computer literacy to use. Please refer to the help page to learn more about the format of this website.

In a nutshell though, if you wish to enter references into this website, click on either Collected Bibliography A-E or Collected Bibliography F-L or Collected Bibliography M-Q or Collected Bibliography R-Z, and once there, click on the edit tab at the top of the page. Insert your reference alphabetically within the listing. You can also add your reference to the corresponding sub-categories if you wish, or just enter your references into the main list and allow other participants to sort the list.

If you'd like to contribute a bit more time to the project, you can sort references into proper categories or help find/create weblinks for online literature. Use the dissussion tabs at the top of each page to discuss each page. Please read and use these discussion pages (each page on this site has it's own discussion page) if you have any concerns with the format, with my choice of references or any questions about the project.

This is collaborative project, with the goal of involving as many stake-holders in wild bison issues as possible. Guidelines for this project are still being formulated, and everyone is invited to participate in the creation and evolution of this project.