Responsibilities
Provide data management, database development, and technical/analytical support for the Mammals Research, Avian Research, Wildlife Health, and Species Conservation Teams within the Terrestrial Section at Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Areas of Interest and Expertise
My interests lie in bridging the gap between technology and on-the-ground work within wildlife science and the greater natural resources community, bringing data-related ideas to life and working through the technical challenges to do so. I enjoy building custom database solutions from the ground up, tailoring front-end applications and back-end databases to the specific needs of researchers and biologists. I am also dedicated to implementing data management strategies that ensure long-term preservation and maximize future usability of data. My areas of expertise lie in database development and management, application development, data analysis, data quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), and geographic information systems.
Education
Current or Recent Positions
Black bears are the largest carnivores in the state. Due to environmental changes and residential expansion, encounters and conflict between humans and black bears are increasing in Colorado and across the country. A thorough understanding of the relationship between conflict rates, bear behavior and population dynamics will assist wildlife agencies in successfully reducing conflicts through management.
Black Bear Research Projects:
]]>Study Area
Field data are being collected near Durango, CO
Project Status
Completed 2018
Research Objectives
Project Description
Black bear-human encounters and conflicts are increasing in Colorado and across the country. This trend is likely to continue as residential development expands and changes in weather (such as more frequent droughts) reduce the availability of natural foods for bears. Bear-human conflicts commonly result in property damage, threats to public safety, rising wildlife management costs, and high bear mortality.
Despite these consequences, the scientific community does not know if increases in conflicts reflect changes in the number of bears or a behavioral shift to eating human food resources or a combination of both. Without a thorough understanding of the relationship between conflict rates, bear behavior and population dynamics, wildlife agencies cannot successfully reduce conflicts through management.
A statewide increase in bear-human encounters and conflicts is a high priority management issue for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). As a result, CPW initiated a comprehensive, five-year research project to identify factors responsible for rising conflicts and to test management strategies to reduce those conflicts in the future. Most of the data for this project was collected in the vicinity of Durango, Colorado, but regional and statewide information was also used to meet project objectives.
To meet project objectives, the research staff conducted the following field research activities:
Current or Recent Research Projects
Mitigating Impacts of Energy Development on Piceance Basin Mule Deer Populations
Areas of Interest and Expertise
My research focuses on large mammal ecology and management, with an emphasis on population dynamics, population monitoring, and population genetics.
Streaming Videos
Wild Science: Mule Deer in the Piceance Basin
Select Publications
Education
Current or Recent Positions
Study Area
Northwest Colorado (Rabbit Ears mountain range); Northeast Colorado (Laramie River drainage); Southwest Colorado (Upper portions of the Rio Grande River and near Lake City)
Project Status
Completed
Research Objectives
Project Description
With limited budgets, wildlife managers must often prioritize management funding based on details such as:
Moose are less abundant in Colorado than elk and deer, thus funding for moose management tends to be lower in comparison. In addition, moose populations are more difficult to estimate because most of Colorado's moose herds live in forests, making aerial observation difficult. As a result, reliable moose population data are limited. Without these data, wildlife managers cannot make fully informed licensing decisions.
Fortunately, other factors besides population abundance can inform wildlife managers about moose population status. For example, reduced pregnancy and survival rates can indicate low food availability due to increased herd sizes. Using these other factors, researchers will develop population models that wildlife managers can use to manage moose populations in the state.
Related Publications:
Bergman, Eric J. 2013-2022. Evaluation and incorporation of life history traits, nutritional status, and browse characteristics in Shira's moose management in Colorado. (Annual federal aid progress reports combined into one document)
Bergman, E.J., C.J. Bishop, D.J. Freddy, G.C. White and P.F. Doherty. 2014. Habitat management influence overwinter survival of mule deer fawns in Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 78(3):448–455.
Bergman, E.J. 2013. Evaluation of winter range habitat treatments on overwinter survival, density, and body condition of mule deer. Dissertation, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, 137pp.
Watkins, B.E., C.J. Bishop, E.J. Bergman, B. Hale, B.F. Wakeling, A. Bronson, L.H. Carpenter, and D.W. Lutz. 2007. Habitat guidelines for mule deer: Colorado Plateau shrubland and forest ecoregion. Mule Deer Working Group, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA. 72pp.
Bergman, E.J., P.F. Doherty, G.C. White, and D.J. Freddy. 2014. Habitat and herbivore density: response of mule deer to habitat management. The Journal of Wildlife Management 79:60–68.
Bergman, E.J., P.F. Doherty, G.C. White, and A.A. Holland. 2015. Density dependence in mule deer: a review of evidence. Wildlife Biology 21:18–29.
Bergman, E.J., P.F. Doherty, C.J. Bishop, L.L. Wolfe, and B. Banulis. 2014. Herbivore body condition response in altered environments: mule deer and habitat management. PloS one 9: e106374.
Current Elk Research Projects:
Areas of Interest and Expertise
My background is in terrestrial wildlife ecology with a focus on carnivores (primarily gray wolves) and infectious diseases. I am interested in many facets of wildlife ecology, especially social behaviors, predator-prey interactions, population dynamics, and disease dynamics. My work intersects wildlife ecology, wildlife management, statistics, and disease ecology.
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Education
Current or Recent Positions
Contact Information
317 W. Prospect Rd.
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Email: ellen.brandell@state.co.us
Phone: 970-698-0252
]]>Study Area
Uncompahgre Plateau
Project Status
Completed
Research Objectives
Research Description
Colorado Parks and Wildlife managers need reliable information on mountain lions in Colorado in order to develop management strategies that work to address public concerns and maintain healthy lion populations. However, the knowledge and tools needed to do so were limited, promoting this 10-year project.
The purpose of this study is to learn how sport-hunting impacts mountain lion population dynamics, develop tools for estimating lion abundance, and to develop strategies for managing lion populations. This knowledge will be provided to wildlife managers and to the public for application to lion management and conservation.
This project was designed with two 5-year periods, a reference period and a treatment period. In the reference period (completed 2004-2009), CPW closed the study area to mountain lion hunting. The reference period provided data on lion population dynamics without lion deaths caused by sport-hunting. During this time, researchers collected data on population abundance, sex and age structure, reproduction, and sources of mortality.
In the treatment period (2009-2014), researchers are manipulating the mountain lion population with sport hunting. The hunting treatment is designed to test assumptions CPW applies to other lion populations managed with sport-hunting in Colorado. The same type of data collected in the reference period is being collected in the treatment period for comparison.
In both study periods, researchers gathered mountain lion population characteristics by capturing, marking, radio-collaring, and tissue-sampling lions in the study area (e.g., skin, blood, saliva, tongues from dead lions). To date (August 2014), over 220 lions have been captured, marked, and sampled.
Moreover, in collaboration with researchers at Colorado State University and Oklahoma State University, CPW researchers have tested mountain lion tissues for diseases. CPW researchers are also collaborating with geneticists from Arizona State University to examine lion population genetics, relatedness, and reproductive success.
CPW expects the research findings to be applied to improve mountain lion management in Colorado and in public education and outreach.