Conservation Biology and Carnivore Conservation in the Rocky Mountains

Large carnivores need large areas of relatively wild habitat, which makes their conservation challenging. These species play important ecological roles and in some cases may qualify as keystone species. Although the ability of carnivores to control prey numbers varies according to many factors and often is effective only in the short term, the indirect effects of carnivores on community structure and diversity can be great. Perhaps just as important is the role of carnivores as umbrella species (i.e., species whose habitat area requirements encompass the habitats of many other species). Conservation areas large enough to support populations of large carnivores are likely to include many other species and natural communities, especially in regions such as the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the United States that have relatively low endemism. For example, a plan for recovery of grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos ) proposed by Shaffer (1992) covers, in part, 34% of the state of Idaho (compared to 8% covered by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal) and would capture 10% or more of the statewide ranges of 71% of the mammal speci