Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumBlack Bears Return to Missouri Indicates Healthy Forests, say MU Biologists
http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2013/0717-black-bears-return-to-missouri-indicates-healthy-forests-say-mu-biologists/[font face=Serif][font size=5]Black Bears Return to Missouri Indicates Healthy Forests, say MU Biologists[/font]
[font size=4]Outdoor recreationists should take precautions to avoid problems with bears in southern Missouri[/font]
July 17, 2013
[font size=3]COLUMBIA, Mo. For nearly a century, the only bears known to reside in Missouri were on the state flag or in captivity. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss had wiped out most black bears in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma by the 1920s. Now, thanks to a reintroduction program in Arkansas during the 50s and 60s, hundreds of bears amble through the forests of southern Missouri, according to a joint study by University of Missouri, Mississippi State University, and Missouri Department of Conservation biologists, who warn that although the bear population is still small, outdoor recreationists and homeowners should take precautions in the Ozark forest to avoid attracting bears.
Black bears normally do not attack humans, but they will ransack picnic baskets, tear through garbage bags or even enter buildings looking for food, said Lori Eggert, associate professor of biological sciences in MUs College of Arts and Science. Although some Missourians may be concerned, the return of black bears to Missouri is actually a good sign. It means parts of the states forests are returning to a healthy biological balance after nearly two centuries of intensive logging and exploitation.
Eggert and her colleagues used the genetic fingerprints of bears in Missouri to trace their origin back to Arkansas, where thousands of bears now roam. The majority of these animals appear to be descendents of bears originally reintroduced to the region from populations in Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada. Surprisingly, some of the Missouri bears analyzed by Eggerts team had genetic signatures that suggested they were not descended from the northern bears. Further testing may prove that a tiny population of bears managed to survive unnoticed in the Ozark wilderness after the rest of the regions population had died out.
The larger the gene pool of bears in the region, the healthier the population will be as it recovers, said Eggert. If they do indeed exist, these remnant populations of black bears may serve as valuable reservoirs of genetic diversity.
[/font][/font]
[font size=4]Outdoor recreationists should take precautions to avoid problems with bears in southern Missouri[/font]
July 17, 2013
[font size=3]COLUMBIA, Mo. For nearly a century, the only bears known to reside in Missouri were on the state flag or in captivity. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss had wiped out most black bears in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma by the 1920s. Now, thanks to a reintroduction program in Arkansas during the 50s and 60s, hundreds of bears amble through the forests of southern Missouri, according to a joint study by University of Missouri, Mississippi State University, and Missouri Department of Conservation biologists, who warn that although the bear population is still small, outdoor recreationists and homeowners should take precautions in the Ozark forest to avoid attracting bears.
Black bears normally do not attack humans, but they will ransack picnic baskets, tear through garbage bags or even enter buildings looking for food, said Lori Eggert, associate professor of biological sciences in MUs College of Arts and Science. Although some Missourians may be concerned, the return of black bears to Missouri is actually a good sign. It means parts of the states forests are returning to a healthy biological balance after nearly two centuries of intensive logging and exploitation.
Eggert and her colleagues used the genetic fingerprints of bears in Missouri to trace their origin back to Arkansas, where thousands of bears now roam. The majority of these animals appear to be descendents of bears originally reintroduced to the region from populations in Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada. Surprisingly, some of the Missouri bears analyzed by Eggerts team had genetic signatures that suggested they were not descended from the northern bears. Further testing may prove that a tiny population of bears managed to survive unnoticed in the Ozark wilderness after the rest of the regions population had died out.
The larger the gene pool of bears in the region, the healthier the population will be as it recovers, said Eggert. If they do indeed exist, these remnant populations of black bears may serve as valuable reservoirs of genetic diversity.
[/font][/font]
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
4 replies, 686 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Black Bears Return to Missouri Indicates Healthy Forests, say MU Biologists (Original Post)
OKIsItJustMe
Jul 2013
OP
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)1. They're welcome to a few of ours.
DURHAM D
(32,611 posts)2. Too bad they don't have a swimming hole like these guy -
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)3. Doesn't look like many fish today
Just saw the changing of the bears for the fishing spot. LOL!
DavidDvorkin
(19,493 posts)4. Local deer disagreed strongly
"There's nothing healthy about it," they told this reporter.