Factors affecting heat flux of translocated North American bison (Bison bison)

Introduction North American bison ( Bison bison ) are translocated every year across large climatic gradients. Methods Since 2008 bison have been translocated from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota to establish six satellite herds across the United States central grasslands, each herd only possessing bison from that single genetic source. Influence of climate on herd-level thermoregulation across these translocation sites was evaluated. Overall, 2156 thermal images were collected between 2021 and 2023. Physiological heat flux was used to measure thermoregulation. Temperature, tree canopy cover, and herd demographics were used to characterize each site. Results Bison heat flux acclimated to local weekly temperatures in as few as 3.3 generations. Discussion This relationship between heat flux, weekly temperature, and generation turnover suggests acclimation towards a thermoregulatory equilibrium point between heat loss and thermal burden. Mean annual temperature is predicted to increase across North America with climate change. Change in heat flux may affect other life history traits and therefore bison function as a keystone species. Bison translocation to improve destination site ecosystem function is common. Best practices for bison translocation should incorporate the predicted effect of climate change on thermoregulation.