Understanding Sandia Mountain Black Bears
Through Citizen Science Efforts
Zoe van Nortwick and Anna Malvin
Bosque School 4000 Learning Rd. NW, Albuquerque NM 87120
Introduction
Results
Conclusion
Paucity of black bear (Ursus americanus) natural food supply leads to increased
bear human interactions. These interactions can be dangerous for both bears
and humans. Better understanding of bear diets can allow managers to predict
human-bear conflict by the presence/absence of their main food sources.
Through citizen science efforts, we can serve to further wildlife managers’
knowledge of black bears in the Sandia Mountains, increase the geographic
scope of existing research, and educate the public about black bears, their
biology, and management issues.
We found bear corn (Conopholis americana), hair, acorn (Quercus), juniper (Juniperus),
grass (Poaceae) insects, cactus (Opuntia), piñon (Pinus edulis), bird seed, and bone in the
Elena Gallegos area bear scat samples (n=29). Bear corn was the most important item both
by frequency (93.1%) and by total fecal volume (51.8%). Other undigested fecal materials
found most frequently in the scat were hair (51.72%), acorn (44.83%), and juniper
(41.38%). Acorn also made up a large volume of the total scat volume at 24.2%. The
average weight (±SE) was 87.33g ± 9.2. The average volume (±SE) was 137.41mL ± 17.8.
Gross Fecal Analysis
• Bear corn was the most abundant food item found in our samples.
This contradicts other scat analysis studies (1, 2) which found acorn to
be the most abundant.
• Taking the percent volume and the frequency of occurrence of the
undigested fecal matter allows us to create a more accurate
representation of the actual quantity of food items consumed.
• Gross fecal analysis is inherently limited due to the differences in
digestibility of different food items.
• 2013 and 2014 were both average years in the ENSO cycle (i.e. not La
Niña/El Niño) according to NOAA, which would suggest fewer bear
human interactions according to Zack and colleagues (2003). Thus, our
results may support Zack and colleagues, because we found minimal
anthropogenic materials in our samples.
• Evidence of anthropogenic material was found in only
one scat sample containing bird seed.
Percent Volume of Undigested Material
Objectives
Insect 0.4%
• To better understand the Sandia Mountain black bear population through
citizen science efforts.
• To understand the diet of black bears through scat analysis.
• To promote citizen scientist participation in black bear research, as well as
public knowledge and awareness of black bear ecology.
Outside material
12.3%
Bear Corn 51.8%
Unidentified 1.3%
Bone 0.8%
Grass 4.0%
Pinon 0.7%
Bird Seed 0.3%
Hair 1.1%
Cactus 0.3%
Juniper 2.7%
Citizen Science
• Though the original individual DNA analysis was unsuccessful, we
were able to derive useful dietary data from the scat samples.
• The Sandia Mountain Bear Collaborative has been successful as a
citizen science effort because it has engaged the public in research
and furthered their knowledge about black bear ecology.
Acorn 24.2%
Figure 2: Percent volume of each food item of the undigested fecal remains from the combined 29 scats. Those materials making up <1% of the total volume were not included.
Frequency of Occurence
Citizen Science Background
In 2013 the Sandia Mountain Bear Collaborative under the leadership of
Bernalillo County (NM) Open Space was formed as a partnership between
natural resource managers, researchers, and volunteer citizen scientists to
create a better population estimate of black bears in the Sandia Mountains
using DNA analysis of scat. That year, citizen scientists collected 100 scat
samples from 9 different sites. The DNA analysis was unsuccessful because DNA
amplification was not sufficient to identify individuals. In 2014 the Collaborative
expanded their mission to include education and further research. This research
included a citizen science effort to collect bear hair for another attempt at
individual DNA analysis led by NM State University graduate student Matt
Gould. We used the scat collected in 2013, as well as 7 scat samples collected in
2014 to further our knowledge of black bears through dietary analysis.
M
E
T
H
O
D
S
Collect Scat
Percent Occurence
Figure 1: Elena Gallegos study area
Dry at 65°C for 72 hours
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
93.10
Acknowledgements
Dan Shaw, Katie Elder, Rowan Converse, Stephanie Long, Rick Winslow, Matt Gould, Peter Callen, Colleen Langan,
Patti Marotta, Ede Borrero, Kobie Boslough, Jerry Dragoo, Bosque School students, and the Sandia Mountain Bear
Collaborative: US Forest Service, Pueblo of Sandia Environment Department, Bernalillo County Open Space, Master
Naturalist Program, University of New Mexico Department of Biology, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish,
Pathways: Wildlife Corridors of New Mexico, Bosque School, City of Albuquerque Open Space, Sandia Mountain
Natural History Center, Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP).
51.72
44.83
41.38
31.03
17.24
13.79
10.34
6.90
3.45
3.45
Works Cited
Undigested Fecal Material
Figure 3: Frequency of occurrence of each food item found in the undigested fecal remains in the 29 scats.
Obtain dry weight (g)
1. Costello, Cecily M., Katherine A. Green Hammond, Donald E. Jones, Robert M. Inman, Kristine H. Inman, Bruce C. Thompson,
Robert A. Deitner, Howard B. Quigley. 2001. “A Study of Black Bear Ecology in New Mexico with Models for Population Dynamics
and Habitat Suitability.” New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project W-131-R. Print.
2. Graber, David M., Marshall White. 1981. “Black Bear Food Habits in Yosemite National Park.” Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage.
5:1-10. Print.
3. Zack, Conrad S. Bruce T. Milne, William C. Dunn. 2003. “Southern Oscillation Index as an Indicator of Encounters between
Humans and Black Bears in New Mexico.” Wildlife Society Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 517-520. Print.
Obtain volume (ml) by water displacement Separate scat contents
Analyze and record percentages
of digested materials