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American Bison
Maximilian J. Wingenbach
AP Environmental Science
Dr. Harrington
December 8th, 2025
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Species Background
The American bison is the largest land-animal in North America, with males
usually weighing between 1,000 pounds and 2,200 pounds, and females generally
weighing in at between 790 pounds and 1,200 pounds. The heaviest wild bison ever
weighed weighed in at around 2,800 pounds, but some American bison have been
estimated to be over 3,000 pounds. American bison are considered a keystone species.
Bison have bigger dark-brown winter coats, and smaller lighter-brown summer coats.
Bison are herbivores; they graze on grass. They usually graze in one place for about
two hours or so before moving to a new location to graze. The American bison can also
be called a “buffalo” in American English, whereas in British English it would be
improper to call them “buffalo.”
The American bison was near extinction at one point due to severe over-hunting.
In the last century, great efforts have been made to help the population of American
bison to recover, and the population is now considered “near threatened,” which is
significantly better than it previously was. The population was estimated to be around 60
million at the end of the eighteenth century, but by 1889 the population had decreased
to 541 individuals. Due to the efforts to help the American bison population to recover,
the population regrew to about 31,000 individuals by 2020. American bison now
currently live in the United States of America, Canada, the United Mexican States, and
the Russian Federation.
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Ecological Niche and Tolerance Ranges
The historical range of the American bison covered a very vast expanse of land
— from around Central Mexico to Alaska. They lived in grasslands, forests, and foothills.
The current range is significantly more restricted, cover some areas from around the
Navajo desert to Alaska, with a small population introduced into Yakutia, an area in
Siberia. The American bison can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees
Fahrenheit due to their thick coat. The American bison can handle hot temperatures but
can sometimes experience heat stress when the temperature is too hot. They can
withstand blizzards and other extreme weather phenomena. The American bison’s
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environmental niche is currently considered to be that of a keystone species of many
North American grasslands.
Adaptations
The American bison has many favorable adaptations for its environment. One of
the first and foremost of these qualities is that of having a very thick, woolly coat. This
coat protects them against the cold, growing longer in the winter and shorter in the
summer. These bison also have powerful heads, sturdy necks, and strong humps,
allowing them to plow through large amounts of snow when searching for grasses and
plants underneath (their source of food). They have sturdy hooves which can break
through ice to get water and also help with plowing snow out of the way. Their physical
profile is also quite low-to-the-ground, helping to shelter them from harsh weather and
strong winds. They also live in herds together, which helps to provide warmth during the
winter and also to provide added defense against wolves, bears, and anything else that
may pray on them.
Biodiversity and Island Biogeography
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The American bison are considered a keystone species in their environment, and
this designation carries much significance. Bison impact their environment significantly;
their hooves aerate the ground, allowing seeds to germinate; their dung adds nitrogen
to the soil, improving soil fertility; their heavily grazed areas become patches of short
grass, leaving lightly grazed areas with taller grass; they carry and deposit seeds across
vast areas through their digestive tracts and fur; their wallowing in particular areas
creates depressions (wallows) that hold hold water, creating unique environments for
amphibians and certain plants; they prune grasslands, preventing woody plants from
taking over; their dung also supports insects.
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Disruptions and Threats
Many disruptions have occurred in the environment to the American bison, both
human-caused and natural-caused. The American bison have suffered at the hands of
humans for centuries. Native Americans would hunt bison by chasing herds of bison off
of cliffs hundreds of years ago. In the eighteenth century, the American bison were
estimated to have a population of around 60 million across the North American
continent, but through severe overhunting by the Europeans, the population decreased
to about 541 individuals by 1889. America and Canada took notice of this and carried
out efforts to help the American bison population grow again to a healthy population.
The American bison lived in parks such as Yellowstone for a long time, as well as in
captivity. The population is now around 30,000, a great improvement in the population of
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the American bison in North America. The American bison is now considered to be “near
threatened.” The largest threats to the American bison nowadays are wolves, bears,
and other animals that prey on the American bison. Natural disruptions affecting the
American bison include tornadoes and blizzards.
Succession and Ecosystem Recovery
The succession/conservation of American bison is an ongoing and arduous effort
but has seen a good deal of success in the last century. Large private and public herds
(e.g., Yellowstone) have been established where the American bison can live without
threat from humans. The American bison has also been reintroduced to their ancestral
lands by Native American tribes, with the “InterTribal Buffalo Council” (ITBC) playing a
major role. Other societies that have bestowed beneficence upon the American bison
include the “American Bison Society” (founded 1905) and the “National Bison Range”
(founded 1908), who both helped to save remnant populations of the American bison.
However, there was a very large population bottleneck among the American bison.
Another difficulty is that many conservation herds are small and fenced, limiting their
potentially great ecological impact. There is also a very important cultural aspect to the
reintroduction of the American bison into its vast historical range; the Native Americans
have long had an important relationship with the American bison, with the American
bison being hunted for food and used in other aspects in the many Native American
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cultures, making their conservation and recovery very important for many Native
American tribes.
Conservation Status and Solutions
The American bison is currently classified as “near threatened,” meaning that
significant disruptions could quickly push it into being a threatened species. The status
of the American bison has, of course, been improving, as the American bison was
significantly closer to extinction at one point than it is now, with the American bison
having a much healthier population number now. Possible ways to help the American
bison population to recover more include removing wolves from the habitats the
American bison currently live in, and to allow the different herds of American bison
across America, Canada, and Russia to breed with each in order to increase genetic
diversity and strengthen the herds.
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