Brown Bears in Alaska’s National Parks: Conservation of a Wilderness Icon

Brown bears are powerful symbols of wilderness, thriving in the vast, untamed ecosystems of Alaska’s remote national parks. Brown Bears in Alaska’s National Parks is a unique and thorough exploration of the conservation, ecology, and management of brown bears in these parks, including examinations of bear biology, human-bear interactions, population estimation methods, and the effects of climate change on bear populations. This lavishly illustrated volume offers fresh perspectives about the complex challenges that bears and humans face as they navigate coexistence in the evolving wilderness of Alaska.

Through park-specific chapters, the authors clearly present the current understanding of brown bear ecology across a wide range of ecosystems--from the sparse and frigid Gates of the Arctic, entirely above the Arctic Circle, to the bountiful coast of Katmai, where the marine and terrestrial systems converge. In Glacier Bay, bears roam newly exposed ecosystems shaped by retreating glaciers, while the interior landscapes of Lake Clark and Denali provide a mix of boreal forests, tundra, rivers, and towering mountains.

Brown bears--and the many species that share their habitats--face numerous challenges, with climate change among the greatest threats. The warming climate intensifies other pressures, such as industrial development, both within and around park boundaries. Management actions may also reduce native brown bear populations and, in turn, threaten healthy and naturally functioning ecosystems. The adaptability of brown bears, in concert with thoughtful and science-based management, is essential for the conservation of these majestic creatures and the wilderness landscapes on which they depend.

Written by the wildlife biologists and anthropologists who have dedicated their careers to studying brown (grizzly) bears and their relationship to people, Brown Bears in Alaska’s National Parks is a premier reference for bear enthusiasts, biologists, managers, and academics, as well as advocates for wild things and wild places.

Grant V. Hilderbrand works for the National Park Service in the Alaska Region and has studied bears, wolves, and salmon since 1993. He is a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature North American Bear Expert Team, was chair of the 2016 International Conference on Bear Research and Management, holds affiliate faculty appointments at several universities, and is an active member of The Wildlife Society.

Kyle Joly is a wildlife biologist for the National Park Service, working in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, and other northern Alaska parks. He started working for the National Park Service in Alaska in 1994.

David D. Gustine has worked as a biologist in various capacities for the US Geological Survey in Alaska and the National Park Service in Grand Teton National Park, led the Polar Bear Program for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and currently works for the Biological Resource Division of the NPS.

Nina Chambers is a science communicator and managing editor for Alaska Park Science, a peer-reviewed science journal of the National Park Service Alaska Region.