Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

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The USGS, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to develop an evolutionary framework to investigate possible ultimate outcomes of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) infection at the population and landscape scales. It currently is not clear whether enough data exist to develop a data-driven CWD specific evolutionary ecology model or not. As part of this research, the Center would like to investigate the feasibility of a data driven CWD model versus a more theoretical approach. Once the approach is determined, an appropriate model structure will investigate the hypotheses using sensitivity analysis. Therefore, the overall objectives of this study are to 1) review literature to assess availability of parameters and feasibility of developing a data-driving CWD specific evolutionary ecology model while at the same time determine a reasonable structure for either a data-driven or a more theoretical model that would be informative about CWD; 2) develop a n appropriate model, analyze possible outcomes predicted by the model and perform sensitivity analysis; and 3) prepare results for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

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