University of Calgary

Cormack Gates

  • Professor Emeritus of Environmental Design

Currently Teaching

Not currently teaching any courses.

Education

Ph.D. (1980) Animal Science (Wildlife Productivity and Management), University of Alberta

Personal Statement

Dr. Gates is a professor of environmental science and planning in the Faculty of Environmental Design. He is involved in applied conservation biology research, specifically projects and initiatives that address the implementation gap that connects scientific data, information and knowledge to conservation actions. While some of his students focus on cause and effect ecological relationships, typically involving anthropogenic activities, many others engage in interdisciplinary research addressing the implementation gap. This is environmental design research: research directed at the design or construction of products or processes to satisfy societal needs including conservation. Knowledge and skill sets required for this type of research typically involve some combination of quantitative ecology, spatial ecology, situation analysis, ecological restoration/reclamation, stakeholder analysis, facilitation, interest-based negotiation, legal and policy analysis, institutional capacity assessment, environmental assessment, cumulative effects assessment, community-based conservation, and planning theory. Dr. Gates is engaged in research in support of land use planning, specifically conservation design (networks, land use prescriptions, reclamation and restoration). His research involves a variety of taxa including bison, pronghorn, rattlesnakes, sage-grouse, and grasslands, foothills fescue and silver sage-brush community restoration. Although the main focus of his work is currently in grasslands, he has international interests in bison conservation from Mexico to Alaska.

Selected Work

Books :

  • Gates, C.C., J. Mitchell, J. Wierzchowski and L. Giles. 2001. A landscape evaluation of bison movements and distribution in Northern Canada. Axys Environmental Consulting Ltd., Calgary, Alberta. 113 pp. www.axys.net/library.htm
  • Gates, C., R. Stephenson, H. Reynolds, C. van Zyll de Jong, H. Schwantje, M. Hoefs, J. Nishi, N. Cool, J. Chisholm, A. James, and B. Koonz. 2001. National Recovery Plan for the Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae). National Recovery Plan No. 21. Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife (RENEW). Ottawa., Ontario.
  • Gates, C. C. 2006. Fencing guidelines for bison on Alberta public lands with wildlife and access in mind. Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary. 8p. Product of a multi-stakeholder design process.
  • Gates, C.C., Stelfox, B., Muhly, T., Chowns, T., and Hudson, R.J. 2005. The ecology of bison movements and distribution in and beyond Yellowstone National Park: A critical review with implications for winter use and transboundary population management. University of Calgary, Faculty of Environmental Design, Calgary, Alberta. 241 p. Available on line from National Parks Service Yellowstone: http://www.nps.gov/yell/parkmgmt/gates.htm
  • Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). 2010. American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2.
  • Gates, C. Cormack and Len Broberg. 2011. Yellowstone Bison: The Science and Management of a Migratory Wildlife Population. University of Montana Press (in press February 2011).
  • Mitchell, J. and C.C. Gates. 2002 Status of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) in Alberta. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, and Alberta Conservation Association, Wildlife Status Report No. 38, Edmonton, AB. 32pp

Chapters and essays in Books:

  • Gates, C. C., Paul Jones, Mark S. Boyce, Andrew Jakes, Kevin Wilson, Michael Suitor, and Kyran Kunkel. The influence of land use and fences on habitat effectiveness, movements and distribution of pronghorn in the northern mixed-grasslands of North America. In M W. Hayward and M J Somers (eds) Fencing for conservation: restriction of evolutionary potential or a riposte to threatening processes? (Springer-US, in press February 2011).
  • Gates, C.C., and P. Gogan. 2010. Introduction: The context. Pages 1-4 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2.
  • Potter, B.A., S. Craig Gerlach, and C. Cormack Gates, Delaney P. Boyd, Gerald A. Oetelaar, and James H. Shaw .2010. History of bison in North America. Pages 5-12 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Boyd, Delaney P., Gregory A. Wilson, and C. Cormack Gates. 2010. Taxonomy and nomenclature. Pages 13-18 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Aune, Keith, C. Cormack Gates, Brett T. Elkin, Martin Hugh-Jones, Damien O. Joly, and John Nishi.2010. Reportable or notifiable diseases. Pages 27-38 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Gogan, J.P., Nicholas C. Larter, James H. Shaw, and John E. Gross, C. Cormack Gates and Joe Truett . 2010. General biology, ecology and demographics. Pages 39-54 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Gates, C. Cormack, Kevin Ellison, Curtis H. Freese, Keith Aune, and Delaney P. Boyd. 2010. Numerical and geographic status. Pages 55-62 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Aune, Keith, Rick Wallen, C. Cormack Gates, Kevin Ellison, Curtis H. Freese, and Rurik List. 2010. Legal status, policy issues and listings. Pages 63-84 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Gross, John E., Natalie D. Halbert, James N. Derr, Keith Aune, Joel Berger, Brett T. Elkin, C. Cormack Gates, Peter J.P. Gogan, David Hunter, Damien O. Joly, Duane J. Lammers, Nicholas C. Larter, Daniel Licht, Rurik List, Robert L. Paulson, Jenny Powers, Robert O. Stephenson, Joe Truett, Rick Wallen, and Margaret Wild. 2010. Conservation guidelines for population, genetic, and disease management. Pages 85-101 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2.
  • Gates, C. Cormack, Robert O. Stephenson, Peter J.P. Gogan, Curtis H. Freese, and Kyran Kunkel. 2010. Guidelines for ecological restoration of bison. Pages 103-112 in Gates, C. C., C.F. Freese, P. Gogan and M. Kotzman (eds). American bison: Status survey and conservation guidelines. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1149-2
  • Reynolds, H., C. Gates and R. Glaholt. 2003. Bison. Chapter 48, Pages 1009 - 1060. In J. Chapman and G. Feldhamer (eds). Wild mammals of North America, biology, management, and economics. London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Musiani, M., T. Muhly, C. Callaghan, C. Gates, M. Smith, S. Stone and E. Tosoni. 2004. Recovery, conservation, conflicts and legal status of wolves in western North America. Chapter 3, Pages 51-75 in N. Fascione, A. Delach and M. Smith, editors. Predators and People: from conflict to conservation. Island Press, Washington, D.C., USA.
  • Jørgensen, D., C.C. Gates and D.P. Whiteside. 2008. Movements, migrations, and mechanisms: A review of radiotelemetry studies of Prairie (Crotalus v. viridis) and Western (Crotalus oreganus) rattlesnakes. Pp. 303-316 in W. K. Hayes, K. R. Beaman, M. D. Cardwell, and S. P. Bush (eds.), The Biology of Rattlesnakes. Loma Linda University Press, Loma Linda, California.
    Refereed Journal Articles (since 2005)
  • Boyd, D. and C. Cormack Gates. 2006. A Brief Review of the Status of Plains Bison in North America. Journal of the West 45(2): 15-21.
  • Desserud, P., C. C. Gates,. B. Adams, and R. Revel. 2010. Restoration of foothills rough fescue grassland following pipeline disturbance in southwestern Alberta. Journal of Environmental Management 91: 2763-2770.
  • Fischer, L. and C. Gates. 2005. Competition potential between sympatric woodland caribou and wood bison. Canadian Journal of Zoology 83: 1162-1173.
  • Freese, C.H., K. E. Aune, D. P. Boyd, J. N. Derr, S. C. Forrest, C. Cormack Gates, P. J. Gogan, S. M. Grassel, N. D. Halbert, K. Kunkel, and K. H. Redford. 2007. Second chance for the plains bison. Biological Conservation 136: 175-184.
  • Hegel, T., C. C. Gates and D. Eslinger. 2009. The geography of conflict between elk and agricultural values in the Cypress Hills, Alberta. Journal of Environmental Management. 90: 222-235.
  • Jorgensen, D. and C. Gates. 2007. Crotalis viridus viridus (Prairie Rattlesnake). Behavior. Note in Herpetological Review 38(1): 87-88.
  • Musiani, M., T. Muhly, C. Gates, C. Callaghan, M. Smith, E. Tosoni. 2005. Seasonality and reoccurrence of depredation and wolf control in western North America, Wildlife Society Bulletin 33(3): 1-12.
  • Musiani, M., J.A. Leonard, H.D. Cluff, C. C. Gates, S. Mariani, P. C. Paquet and C. Vila, and R. K. Wayne. 2007. Differentiation of tundra/taiga and boreal coniferous forest wolves: genetics, coat colour and association with migratory caribou. Molecular Ecology 16: 4149-4170
  • Ripple, W.J., Luke E. Painter, Robert L. Beschta and C. C. Gates. 2011. Wolves, elk, bison, and secondary trophic cascades in Yellowstone National Park. Open Ecology Journal (in press, February 2011).
  • Redburn, M.J., W.L Strong, , and C.C. Gates, 2008. Suitability of boreal mixedwood clearcuts as wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) foraging habitat in north-central Alberta, Canada. Forest Ecology and Management 255: 2225-2235. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2007.12.033
  • Sachro, L, W. Strong and C. Gates. 2005. Prescribed burning effects on summer elk forage availability in the subalpine zone, Banff National Park. Journal of Environmental Management 77: 183-193.
  • Sanderson, E., K. H. Redford, B. Weber, K. Aune, D. Baldes, J. Berger, D. Carter, C. Curtin, J. Derr, S. Dobrott, E. Fearn, C. Fleener, S. Forrest, C. Gerlach, C. C. Gates, J. Gross, P. Gogan, S. Grassel, J. A. Hilty, M. Jensen, K. Kunkel, D. Lammers, R. List, K. Minkowski, T. Olson, C. Pague, P. B. Robertson, and B. Stephenson. 2008. The Ecological Future of the North American Bison: Conceiving Long-term, Large-scale Conservation of Wildlife. Conservation Biology 22 (2): 252-266.
  • Schipper, J., J. S. Chanson, F. Chiozza, N.A. Cox, M. Hoffmann, V. Katariya, J. Lamoreux, A. S. L. Rodrigues, S. N. Stuart, H. J. Temple, J. Baillie, L. Boitani, T. E. Lacher Jr., R. A. Mittermeier, A.T. Smith, D. Absolon, J.M. Aguiar, G. Amori, N. Bakkour, R. Baldi, R. J. Berridge, J. Bielby, P. A. Black, J. J. Blanc, T. M. Brooks, J. A. Burton, T. M. Butynski, G. Catullo, R. Chapman, Z. Cokeliss, B. Collen, J. Conroy, G. Cooke, G. A. B. da Fonseca, A. E. Derocher, H. T. Dublin, J. W. Duckworth, L. Emmons, R. H. Emslie, M. Festa-Bianchet, M. Foster, S. Foster, D. L. Garshelis, C. Gates, M. Gimenez-Dixon, S. Gonzalez, J. F. Gonzalez-Maya, T. C. Good, G. Hammerson, P. S. Hammond, D. Happold, M. Happold, J. Hare, R. B. Harris, C. E. Hawkins, M. Haywood, L. R. Heaney, S. Hedges, K. M. Helgen, C. Hilton-Taylor, S. A. Hussain, N. Ishii, T. A. Jefferson, R. K. B. Jenkins, C. H. Johnston, M. Keith, J. Kingdon, D. H. Knox, K. M. Kovacs, P. Langhammer, K. Leus, R. Lewison, G. Lichtenstein, L. F. Lowry, Z. Macavoy, G. M. Mace, D. P. Mallon, M. Masi, M. W. McKnight, R. A. Medellín, P. Medici, G. Mills, P. D. Moehlman, S. Molur, A. Mora, K. Nowell, J. F. Oates, W. Olech, W. R. L. Oliver, M. Oprea, B. D. Patterson, W. F. Perrin, B. A. Polidoro, C. Pollock, A. Powel, Y. Protas, P. Racey, J. Ragle, P. Ramani, G. Rathbun, R. R. Reeves, S. B. Reilly, J. E. Reynolds III, C. Rondinini, R. G. Rosell-Ambal, M. Rulli, A. B. Rylands, S. Savini, C. J. Schank, W. Sechrest, C. Self-Sullivan, A. Shoemaker, C. Sillero-Zubiri, N. De Silva, D. E. Smith, C. Srinivasulu, P. J. Stephenson, N. van Strien, B. K. Talukdar, B. L. Taylor, R. Timmins, D. G. Tirira, M. F. Tognelli, K. Tsytsulina, L. M. Veiga, J.C. Vié, E. A. Williamson, S. A. Wyatt, Y. Xie, B. E. Young. 2008. The status of the World's land and marine mammals: diversity, threat, and knowledge. Science 322: 225-230.
  • Strong, W. and C. Gates. 2006. Herbicide-induced changes to ungulate foraging habitat in western Alberta, Canada. Forest Ecology and Management. 222: 469-475.
  • Strong, W. L. and C. C. Gates. 2009. Wood bison population recovery and forage availability. Journal of Environmental Management 90:434-440.
  • Strong, W.L., M.J. Redburn and C.C. Gates. 2009. Climate and vegetation change during the twentieth century in the lower Peace River district, northern Alberta, Canada. The Holocene 19: 199-207.
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