Glacier to study goats amidst a warming world

Visitors to Glacier National Park might soon see ear tags and collars on select mountain goats in the backcountry this summer, as the Park begins a three-year study to see how a changing climate might be impacting the population.

The study comes on the heels of a previous study of goats at Logan Pass, which looked at how goats have adapted to people and predators. That study found, among other things, that some goats at the pass changed their migration habits because they could get salt from human urine and sweat, rather than traveling miles to a natural mineral lick.

This study will take a broader look at the goat population — the hope is to collar 20 goats parkwide this summer, said supervisory biologist Mark Biel — including backcountry goats that don’t see many people.

In addition to the GPS radio collars, they’ll also have colored ear tags so they can be seen with a spotting scope.

A few Logan Pass goats will also be collared, with a nod toward aesthetics, they’ll have white ear tags with black numbers.

The Park has about 1,800 to 1,900 mountain goats, Biel noted. Most of them live in the backcountry where they’re tough to get to. Biologists will look for flatter spots in Glacier’s mountainous terrain to dart them with tranquilizer guns and fit them with collars, Biel said.

One concern with the Park’s goat population is the availability of good summer range. Nannies need lush green vegetation to produce enough milk to feed kids. But as Glacier warms, forests have grown higher and higher into the hills, overtaking alpine meadows in many cases. Can goats adapt? Will they be able to find enough feed for their young?

Those are just some of the questions the study hopes to answer.

Once prime habitat is identified, the Park could devise management actions to protect it, Biel noted.

The study will also look at vegetation types in summer and winter ranges and they’ll use temperature monitors on the slopes to record how warm the mountains are getting and when goats move from warmer terrain to cooler terrain.

“What’s the tipping point where they start seeking shelter from warmer temperatures?” Biel said.

Mountain goats are made for winter, with their long, lush white coats and specially adapted hooves, they can cling to icy cliffs better than any mountain climber.

Collecting the data and heading up the study is doctorate student Garrett Sisson from Colorado State University.

Because the study is using GPS collars, the study won’t require as much winter field work, as the collars automatically transmit a location that feeds into a computer via the Internet. The old radio collars required researchers track the signal down in the field.

The project is jointly funded by the Park Service and the Glacier National Park Conservancy. The Conservancy match to date has been more than $82,000.