III. Back from the Brink
American bison
Index Naturae
IN 2.10.10-A
American bison
Bison bison
Adult portrait
III. Back from the Brink
Field notes
A bison herd changes the ground it crosses. Grazing reshapes vegetation, wallowing opens patches in the soil, and moving animals carry seeds in their coats. The heavy head and shoulder hump belong to a grazer whose daily life helps shape the wider grassland community.
- Range
- North America; conservation herds occupy a fraction of the species’ former range.
- Habitat
- Grasslands, prairies and other open grazing landscapes.
Conservation
Bison survived a historic collapse, but ecological recovery is still unfinished. Many conservation herds are small, fenced and isolated; restoring space, genetic connections and the animal’s cultural relationships involves more than increasing the number kept in herds.
Sources & conservation context
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo — American bison
- National Park Service — Basic Facts about Bison
- National Park Service — Protecting Bison
Source review: 6 October 2026. Assessment dates, where given, belong to the cited source.