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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Spatial Precipitation Variability, Snowfall, And Historical Bison Occurrence In The Northwest United States, Heather Anna Williams
Spatial Precipitation Variability, Snowfall, And Historical Bison Occurrence In The Northwest United States, Heather Anna Williams
Anthropology Theses
Throughout the Holocene, bison have always been more abundant east of the Rocky Mountains with considerably fewer bison found west of the Rocky Mountains. It is likely that drought frequency and snowfall characteristics have influenced the pattern of historical bison occurrence across the northwest United States. Using monthly average snow and precipitation data from the past several decades, average April snow water equivalent (SWE) and summertime drought frequency were analyzed at sites across the northwest United States. A climatic stress index (CSI) was developed by combining average SWE and drought frequency for sites, as these are the climate factors that …