In general, a few (4-10) individuals should be sufficient to avoid very short-term inbreeding effects. However, the loss of variation in such a small population will be substantial after the first few years and additional bison should be imported over a period of several years to increase genetic variation.

Establishing and maintaining related, isolated or semi-isolated herds (i.e., parental and one or more satellite herds) is critical to long-term species conservation in that multiple herds act to increase effective population size and reduce the total loss of genetic variation over time.

In theory, and under experimental conditions, several small groups (e.g., about 50) may preserve more genetic diversity than a single herd with as many individuals as the smaller herds combined. Genetic drift within each related herd can be countered by the occasional movement of individuals between related herds. Therefore, several moderately sized herds (i.e., more than 300 and fewer than 1,000 animals) of the same genetic stock can, if managed properly, act as a large metapopulation with an effective population size sufficient to impede genetic erosion.

The general goals for population and genetic management are to achieve and sustain a population with a healthy level of genetic variation and a sex and age composition typical of viable wild bison populations.

Management actions needed to achieve these goals will vary with the size, history, and circumstances of each particular population.