Gift shops in and around Yellowstone National Park are filed with postcards, videos and guidebooks featuring grizzly bears and gray wolves. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a photograph—or even a passing mention—of three much rarer species found only in Yellowstone. Thanks in part to unique microclimates created by the park's hot springs, fumaroles and other thermal features, Yellowstone is the only place on earth where you'll find Ross's bentgrass, Yellowstone sand verbena and Yellowstone sulfur wild buckwheat. But most visitors to the park will never see these obscure plants. Continue Reading →
whitebark pine
Recent Posts
Yellowstone area grizzly bears move closer to removal from threatened list
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Grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone area took a step closer to losing some protections as a threatened species after a group of researchers last week reported positive trends in the recovering population. Wildlife managers from state, federal and tribal agencies met in Bozeman, Mont. to report on bear-human conflicts and hear details of continuing recovery efforts from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Wildlife, endangered species, grizzly bears, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, whitebark pine
Wildlife officials warn Yellowstone area grizzly bears expanding range, seeking food
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As the population of grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone area expands, grizzlies are expanding their range. That expansion, along with a year of low whitebark pine cone production—a staple of the grizzly’s diet—means outdoor enthusiasts need to be hyper-vigilant this fall, even when recreating in areas where they’ve never seen signs of bears. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Wildlife, grizzly bears, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, whitebark pine
Researchers seek more data on role of whitebark pine in changing grizzly populations
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In the ongoing deliberations over federal protections for Yellowstone area grizzly bears, debate often focuses on a fixed number of total bears living in the region. Counting bears—or more appropriately, estimating grizzly bear populations—is essential to helping determine when government recovery goals have been met. But just as important is tracking trends in population changes, and trying to determine the causes of those changes. Continue Reading →