Presenters: Cameron Wigington ; Ricky Fletcher
Authors: Sara Ash, Joseph Ceradini, Ricky Fletcher, Harrison Stubbs, Cameron Wigington, Eric Domyan
Faculty Advisor: Eric Domyan
Institution: Utah Valley University
Throughout the early 1900s, desert bighorn sheep(Ovis canadensisnelsoni) populations in what is now Capitol Reef National Park was extirpated due to human activity. In the 1960s, individuals from Canyonlands National Park were translocated to Capitol Reef National Parkby the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Due to the introduction ofindividuals into a new environment with new stressors, translocation of a population can be difficult, potentially leading to slow population growth during the adaptation period, which may affect a population’s gene pool. A larger gene pool will have more genetic diversity, which will help a population better withstand challenges of their environmental stressors. Our goal is to examine habitat usage of the park by sheep, and to compare genetic diversity in the current desert bighorn sheep population in relation to when it was last examined several years ago. DNA samples have been collectedfrom scat using non-invasive techniques, followed by a purification process, and then sequenced. Using DNA barcoding techniques, relative habitat usage will be identified alongside gene flow of the population by using previously identified microsatellite markers. Results of this project will help the park better understand the Desert Bighorn Sheep population and their response to environmental stressors, enabling them to make decisions to help the sheep thrive in their environment.