Climate Change Connections: North Dakota (Bison)
Climate change is impacting all regions and sectors of the United States. The State and Regional Climate Change Connections resource highlights climate change connections to culturally, ecologically, or economically important features of each state and territory. The content on this page provides an illustrative example. As climate change will affect each state and territory in diverse ways, this resource only describes a small portion of these risks. For more comprehensive information about regional climate impacts, please visit the Fifth National Climate Assessment and Climate Change Impacts by Sector.
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Introduction: Bison Play an Integral Role in the Prairie Ecosystem
The bison (Bison bison) is the largest land mammal in North America and an iconic part of North Dakota’s culture. For thousands of years, bison were central to Plains Indian life, providing food, clothing, shelter, and tools, and they continue to be culturally important today. Once numbering in the millions, bison were nearly driven to extinction by the end of the 19th century due to extreme overhunting by European settlers. However, conservation and reintroduction efforts helped the bison population rebound from a few hundred to around 30,000 in conservation herds and 500,000 on commercial ranches in North America.1 Recent efforts to restore bison to Tribal lands throughout the Northern Great Plains have helped reduce food insecurity and restore Indigenous Peoples’ connection to their heritage while also improving prairie ecosystems.2
Bison play a critical role in the health and function of the prairie ecosystem.3 Their grazing practices help increase the diversity of plant species, which improves habitat for birds and mammals.4 Bison also modify the landscape. For example, wallowing—their behavior of rolling repeatedly in the dirt—creates depressions in the ground that collect water and provide important habitat for other animals and plants.5,6
Bison continue to be culturally and economically important throughout North Dakota. Bison ranching is a major livestock industry in the state, producing meat as well as leather and wool products.7 Visitors to North Dakota can view wild buffalo roaming the plains in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.8 Bison imagery can be found across the state—from North Dakota State University sports jerseys, to the state quarter, to the World’s Largest Bison Monument in Jamestown.
Climate Impacts: Warming Temperatures Can Stress Bison and Limit Growth
Projections show the Northern Great Plains steadily warming over the next century, with drought and heat waves becoming more common.9 Average temperatures in North Dakota have already risen more than 2.6°F since the beginning of this century, a trend that researchers expect will continue.10 While bison are currently well suited to the extreme temperatures of North Dakota, the anticipated rate of warming due to climate change is expected to affect them. 11 Warming temperatures in North Dakota could put increased stress on bison and stunt their growth. Scientists studying bison fossil records found that average bison body mass decreased when global temperatures increased in the past.11 Research on modern bison populations in the Great Plains also shows that a bison’s body mass decreases in response to higher temperatures and drought.12
This size-limiting phenomenon could be due to both temperature-related stress and reduced quality and quantity of plants available for grazing. As large-bodied animals, bison are vulnerable to heat stress from warmer temperatures, and this stress can limit the size to which they grow.13 Additionally, changing temperatures and precipitation patterns can affect the quality and quantity of grasses that bison eat. This leads to a decline in the overall health of free-roaming bison, as a less nutritious diet limits growth. Smaller bison could create serious economic consequences for ranchers, leading to a reduced amount of meat and hide per animal .14
Taking Action: Protecting Bison in a Changing Climate
Addressing climate change requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions while preparing for and protecting against current and future climate impacts. Communities, public officials, and individuals in every part of the United States can continue to explore and implement climate adaptation and mitigation measures. While bison could feel pressure from climate change, they can also play an important role in increasing ecosystem resilience. In North Dakota, many stakeholders are already collaborating on efforts to help protect bison populations and ecosystems in a changing climate, including:
- Reintroduction. Intentionally bringing bison back to their natural range is a practice known as reintroduction. Scientists and land managers can reintroduce bison to increase the overall climate resilience of the prairie ecosystem. A recent study found that the reintroduction of bison herds to native prairies doubled the diversity native plant species and these ecosystems with increased native plant richness tended to be more resilient to extreme drought.15 Bison reintroduction has also been shown to improve soil development and promote carbon sequestration, providing benefits for agriculture, outdoor recreation, and Tribes.16 As North Dakota gets hotter, bison reintroduction could be an important strategy for conserving the state’s prairie ecosystems.
- Habitat restoration. Protecting and restoring prairie grassland ecosystems can increase bison habitat and improve ecosystem health. Collaboration among state and federal agencies, Tribes, and landowners can help ensure that management decisions are made using the best science and Indigenous knowledge. The Bison Conservation Initiative, an effort led by the Department of the Interior’s Bison Working Group, has coordinated years of conservation efforts to not only restore American bison, but also restore the prairie. Their efforts include restoring and promoting a functional and thriving ecosystem and supporting rural economies that rely on grassland health.16 North Dakota’s State Wildlife Action Plan also prioritizes multiple conservation actions for grassland protection and restoration to prevent species from becoming threatened or endangered.17
To learn more about climate change impacts in North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains region, see Chapter 25 of the Fifth National Climate Assessment.
Related Resources
- Bison (U.S. National Park Service)
- Bison management in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
- North Dakota State Climate Summary 2022 (NOAA)
References
1 National Park Service. (2023). Bison management. Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Retrieved December 22, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/nature/bison-management.htm
2 Shamon, H., Cosby, O. G., Andersen, C. L., Augare, H., BearCub Stiffarm, J., Bresnan, C. E., Brock, B. L., Carlson, E., Deichmann, J. L., Epps, A., Guernsey, N., Hartway, C., Jørgensen, D., Kipp, W., Kinsey, D., Komatsu, K. J., Kunkel, K., Magnan, R., Martin, J. M., … Akre, T. S. (2022). The potential of bison restoration as an ecological approach to future Tribal food sovereignty on the Northern Great Plains. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.826282
3 Knapp, A. et al. (1999) The Keystone Role of Bison in North American Tallgrass Prairie: Bison increase habitat heterogeneity and alter a broad array of plant, community and ecosystem processes. BioScience, 49(1). 39-50, https://doi.org/10.1525/bisi.1999.49.1.39
4 Boyce, A. J., Shamon, H., & McShea, W. J. (2022). Bison reintroduction to mixed-grass prairie is associated with increases in bird diversity and cervid occupancy in riparian areas. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 821822. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.821822
5 National Park Service. (2017). Bison bellows: What’s wallowing all about? Retrieved December 22, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/bison-bellow-1-28-16.htm
6 Nickell, Z., Varriano, S., Plemmons, E., & Moran, M. D. (2018). Ecosystem engineering by bison (Bison bison) wallowing increases arthropod community heterogeneity in space and time. Ecosphere, 9(9), e02436. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2436
7 Sell, R. S., Bangsund, D. A., & Leistritz, F. L. (2001). Contribution of the bison industry to North Dakota’s economy. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 16(3), 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0889189300009012
8 National Park Service. (2022). In honor of a president. Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Retrieved December 22, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm
9 Knapp, C. N., Kluck, D. R., Guntenspergen, G., Ahlering, M. A., Aimone, N. M., Bamzai-Dodson, A., Basche, A., Byron, R. G., Conroy-Ben, O., Haggerty, M. N., Haigh, T. R., Johnson, C., Mayes Boustead, B., Mueller, N. D., Ott, J. P., Paige, G. B., Ryberg, K. R., Schuurman, G. W., & Tangen, S. G. (2023). Ch. 25. Northern Great Plains. In A. R. Crimmins, C. W. Avery, D. R. Easterling, K. E. Kunkel, B. C. Stewart, & T. K. Maycock (Eds.), Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH25
10 Frankson, R., Kunkel, K. E., Stevens, L. E., Easterling, D. R., Shulski, M., Akyuz, A., Umphlett, N. A., & Stiles, C. J. (2022). North Dakota state climate summary 2022 (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-ND). NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/nd/
11 Martin, J. M., Mead, J. I., & Barboza, P. S. (2018). Bison body size and climate change. Ecology and Evolution, 8(9), 4564–4574. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4019
12 Martin, J. M., & Barboza, P. S. (2020). Decadal heat and drought drive body size of North American bison (Bison bison) along the Great Plains. Ecology and Evolution, 10(1), 336–349. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5898
13 Martin, J. M., & Barboza, P. S. (2020). Thermal biology and growth of bison (Bison bison) along the Great Plains: examining four theories of endotherm body size. Ecosphere, 11(7), e03176. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3176
14 Craine, J. M., Towne, E. G., Joern, A., & Hamilton, R. G. (2009). Consequences of climate variability for the performance of bison in tallgrass prairie. Global Change Biology, 15(3), 772–779. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01769.x
15 Ratajczak, Z., Collins, S. L., Blair, J. M., Koerner, S. E., Louthan, A. M., Smith, M. D., Taylor, J. H., & Nippert, J. B. (2022). Reintroducing bison results in long-running and resilient increases in grassland diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(36), e2210433119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2210433119
16 Secretary of the Interior. (2023). Order No. 3410: Restoration of American Bison and the prairie grasslands. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/so-3410.pdf
17 North Dakota Game and Fish Department. (2016). Focus on grasslands in a prairie state. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://gf.nd.gov/magazine/2016/jul/grasslands