scholarly journals The Interaction of Fire, Vegetation and Large Mammalian Herbivores, on Ecosystem Processes in Yellowstone National Park

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 260-262
Author(s):  
Benjamin Tracy ◽  
Samuel McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Sagebrush Steppe ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Basic Study ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Study Sites

There is substantial observational evidence suggesting positive interactions among fire, vegetation and large mammalian herbivores within Yellowstone National Park. The purpose of this research project is to quantify these potential interactions and explain their interactive effects on ecosystem processes (e.g. nutrient cycling). The basic study design utilizes burned areas from the 1988 fires with adjacent unburned areas to comparatively quantify ecosystem process information. Two paired study sites were chosen in three locations (Hellroaring Slope, Swan Lake Flat and Hayden Valley) representing winter, transitional and summer range for portions of the Northern elk herd. All study sites can be characterized as mesic sagebrush steppe dominated by the grasses Festuca idahoensis and Agropryron spp.

scholarly journals The Interaction of Fire, Vegetation, and Large Mammalian Herbivores on Ecosysystem Processes in Yellowstone National Park

1990 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 177-178
Author(s):  
Benjamin Tracy ◽  
Samuel McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Considerable Evidence ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Potential Interactions

There is considerable evidence that interactions among fire, large mammals and vegetation exist in Yellowstone National Park. These interactions are likely complex, and discerning their nature will provide valuable information about basic ecosystem processes in the Park. The fires of 1988 have given us an excellent opportunity to evaluate potential interactions and consequently; provide additional information to resource managers regarding the importance of these factors in ecosystem dynamics.

scholarly journals Distribution, Morphology, Survival, and Genetics of Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Seedlings Following the 1988 Yellowstone Fires

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 118-122
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
Rebecca Reed ◽  
William Romme ◽  
Gerald Tuskan
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Rare Event ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Burned Areas

An unexpected consequence of the 1988 Yellowstone fires was the widespread establishment of seedlings of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the burned forests, including areas outside the previous range of aspen (Kay 1993; Romme et al. 1997). Although aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America (Powells 1965), it is relatively uncommon and localized in distribution within Yellowstone National Park (Despain 1991). Most aspen stands in Yellowstone are found in the lower elevation landscapes in the northern portion of the park, and the species was absent - prior to 1988 -- across most of the high plateaus that dominate the southern and central park area. Aspen in the Rocky Mountain region reproduces primarily by means of vegetative root sprouting. Although viable seeds are regularly produced, establishment of seedlings in the wild is apparently a rare event due to the limited tolerance of aspen seedlings for desiccation or competition (e.g., Pearson 1914; McDonough 1985). In the immediate aftermath of the 1988 Yellowstone fires, there was a brief "window of opportunity" for aspen seedling establishment, as a result of abundant aspen seed production, moist weather conditions in spring and summer, and bare mineral soil and reduced plant competition within extensive burned areas (Jelinski and Cheliak 1992; Romme et al. 1997). We initiated this 3-year study in 1996 to address four questions about the aspen seedlings now growing in burned areas across the Yellowstone Plateau: (1) What are the broad-scale patterns of distribution and abundance of aspen seedlings across the subalpine plateaus of Yellowstone National Park? (2) What is the morphology and population structure -- e.g., proportions of genets (genetic individuals that developed from a single seed) and ramets (vegetative root sprouts produced by a genet) of various ages - in aspen seedling populations? (3) What are the mechanisms leading to eventual persistence or extirpation of seedling populations along an elevational gradient, particularly with respect to ungulate browsing and plant competition? (4) What is the genetic diversity and relatedness of the seedling populations along gradients of elevation and substrate?

scholarly journals Above-Ground Net Primary Production, Leaf Area Index, and Nitrogen Dynamics in Early Post-Fire Vegetation, Yellowstone National Park

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 130-134
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
Rebecca Reed ◽  
William Romme ◽  
Mary Finley ◽  
Dennis Knight
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Area Index

The 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Wyoming, affected >250,000 ha, creating a striking mosaic of burn severities across the landscape which is likely to influence ecological processes for decades to come (Christensen et al. 1989, Knight and Wallace 1989, Turner et al.1994). Substantial spatial heterogeneity in early post-fire succession has been observed in the decade since the fires, resulting largely from spatial variation in fire severity and in the availability of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) seeds in or near the burned area (Anderson and Romme 1991, Tinker et al. 1994, Turner et al. 1997). Post­fire vegetation now includes pine stands ranging from relatively low to extremely high pine sapling density (ca 10,000 to nearly 100,000 stems ha-1) as well as non-forest or marginally forested vegetation across the Yellowstone landscape may influence ecosystem processes related to energy flow and biogeochemisty. We also are interested in how quickly these processes may return to their pre­ disturbance characteristics. In this pilot study, we began to address these general questions by examining the variation in above-ground net primary production (ANPP), leaf area index (LAI) of tree (lodgepole pine) and herbaceous components, and rates of nitrogen mineralization and loss in successional stands 9 years after the fires. ANPP measures the cumulative new biomass generated over a given period of time, and is a fundamental ecosystem property often used to compare ecosystems (Carpenter 1998). Leaf area (typically expressed as leaf area index [LAI], i.e., leaf area per unit ground surface area) influences rates of two fundamental ecosystem processes -­ primary productivity and transpiration -- and is communities (

The Ecology of Plants, Large Mammalian Herbivores, and Drought in Yellowstone National Park

Ecology ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 2043-2058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Frank ◽  
Samuel J. McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores

scholarly journals Distribution, Morphology, Survival, and Genetics of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Seedlings Following the 1988 Yellowstone Fires

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 135-137
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
Rebecca Reed ◽  
William Romme ◽  
Gerald Tuskan
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Rare Event ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Burned Areas

An unexpected consequence of the 1988 Yellowstone fires was the widespread establishment of seedlings of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the burned forests, including areas outside the previous range of aspen (Kay 1993, Romme et al.1997). Although aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America (Powells 1965), it is relatively uncommon and localized in distribution within Yellowstone National Park (Despain 1991). Most aspen stands in Yellowstone are found in the lower elevation landscapes in the northern portion of the park, and the species was absent -- prior to 1988 -- across most of the high plateaus that dominate the southern and central park area. Aspen in the Rocky Mountain region reproduces primarily by means of vegetative root sprouting. Although viable seeds are regularly produced, establishment of seedlings in the wild is apparently a rare event due to the limited tolerance of aspen seedlings for desiccation or competition (e.g., Pearson 1914, McDonough 1985). In the immediate aftermath of the 1988 Yellowstone fires there was a brief "window of opportunity" for aspen seedling establishment, as a result of abundant aspen seed production, moist weather conditions in spring and summer, and bare mineral soil and reduced plant competition within extensive burned areas (Jelinski and Cheliak 1992, Romme et al. 1997). We initiated this 3-year study in 1996 to address four questions about the aspen seedlings now growing in burned areas across the Yellowstone Plateau: (1) What are the broad-scale patterns of distribution and abundance of aspen seedlings across the subalpine plateaus of Yellowstone National Park? (2) What is the morphology and population structure -- e.g., proportions of genets (genetic individuals that developed from a single seed) and ramets (vegetative root sprouts produced by a genet) of various ages -- in aspen seedling populations? (3) What are the mechanisms leading to eventual persistence or extirpation of seedling populations along an elevational gradient, particularly with respect to ungulate browsing and plant competition? (4) What is the genetic diversity and relatedness of the seedling populations along gradients of elevation and substrate? We completed our sampling for questions 2 and 4 in 1996 (see our 1996 annual report for details). In 1997 we continued our annual sampling related to questions 1 and 3.

scholarly journals Annual Aboveground Production and Consumption by Large Mammalian Herbivores in the Northern Range of Yellowstone National Park

1989 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 183-185
Author(s):  
Douglas Frank ◽  
S. McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Primary Productivity ◽  
National Park ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Aboveground Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Nutrient Flows ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Aboveground Production ◽  
Large Populations

The principal objectives of this study are to measure aboveground net primary productivity and consumption by large mammalian herbivores in Yellowstone's northern range. The significance of such information is two-fold. Firstly, it will provide a "pulse rate" of ecosystem processes in an integral region of the Yellowstone Ecosystem and a comparison of rates of energy and nutrient flows with other ecosystems worldwide. This is of particular ecological interest, since such data for areas supporting large populations of free­ranging native herbivores are rare. Secondly, these data will provide a greater understanding of the effects of ungulate use on ecosystem function in Yellowstone, and thereby, an assessment of current park management of ungulate populations.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing of Vegetation Recovery in Grasslands After the 1988 Fires in Yellowstone National Park

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Evelyn Merrill ◽  
Ronald Marrs
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Vegetation Recovery ◽  
Electromagnetic Spectrum ◽  
Burned Areas

Traditional methods for measurement of vegetative characteristics can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially across large areas. Yet such estimates are necessary to investigate the effects of large scale disturbances on ecosystem components and processes. Because foliage of plants differentially absorbs and reflects energy within the electromagnetic spectrum, one alternative for monitoring vegetation is to use remotely sensed spectral data (Tueller 1989). Spectral indices developed from field radiometric and Landsat data have been used successfully to quantify green leaf area, biomass, and total yields in relatively homogeneous fields for agronomic uses (Shibayama and Akiyama 1989), but have met with variable success in wildland situations (Pearson et aL 1976). Interference from soils (Hardinsky et al. 1984, Huete et al. 1985), weathered litter (Huete and Jackson 1987), and senesced vegetation (Sellers 1985) have diminished the relationship between green vegetation characteristics and various vegetation indices. In 1987, we found that a linear combination of Landsat Multi-spectral Scanner (MSS) band 7 and the ratio of MSS bands 6 to 4 explained 63% of the variation in green herbaceous phytomass (GHP) in sagebrush-grasslands on ungulate summer range in the northeastern portion of Yellowstone National Park (Merrill et al. 1993). The extensive fires that occurred in the Park in the summer of 1988 provided an opportunity to determine whether remote sensing could be used to estimate green phytomass in burned areas and to monitor grassland vegetation recovery in the Park after the fires. Remote sensing has previously been used to follow succession of seral stages in pine forests (Jakubauskas et al. 1990) after burning and to monitor plant cover in tundra (Hall et al. 1980) after wildfires. The objectives of our study were to: (1) develop a model for predicting GHP in sagebrush­ grassland communities using Landsat TM spectral information and field data on GHP for 2 years, (2) validate the model by comparing predictions made from the model to actual field data collected in a third year, and if successful (3) compare initial vegetation recovery in burned areas relative to unburned sagebrush-grassland.

scholarly journals Distribution, Morphology, Survival, and Genetics of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Seedlings Following the 1988 Yellowstone Fires

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 53-55
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
Rebecca Reed ◽  
William Romme ◽  
Gerald Tuskan
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Rare Event ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Burned Areas

An unexpected consequence of the 1988 Yellowstone fires was the widespread establishment of seedlings of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the burned forests, including areas outside the previous range of aspen (Kay 1993, Romme et al. 1997). Although aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America (Fowells 1965), it is relatively uncommon and localized in distribution within Yellowstone National Park (Despain 1991). Most aspen stands in Yellowstone are found in the lower elevation landscapes in the northern portion of the park, and the species was absent -- prior to 1988 -- across most of the high plateaus that dominate the southern and central park area. Aspen in the Rocky Mountain region reproduces primarily by means of vegetative root sprouting. Although viable seeds are regularly produced, establishment of seedlings in the wild is apparently a rare event due to the limited tolerance of aspen seedlings for desiccation or competition (e.g., Pearson 1914, McDonough 1985). In the immediate aftermath of the 1988 Yellowstone fires, there was a brief "window of opportunity" for aspen seedling establishment, as a result of abundant aspen seed production, moist weather conditions in spring and summer, and bare mineral soil and reduced plant competition within extensive burned areas (Jelinski and Cheliak 1992, Romme et al. 1997). We initiated this 3-year study in 1996 to address four questions about the aspen seedlings now growing in burned areas across the Yellowstone Plateau: (1) What are the broad-scale patterns of distribution and abundance of aspen seedlings across the subalpine plateaus of Yellowstone National Park? (2) What is the morphology and population structure -- e.g., proportions of genets (genetic individuals that developed from a single seed) and ramets (vegetative root sprouts produced by a genet) of various ages -- in aspen seedling populations? (3) What are the mechanisms leading to eventual persistence or extirpation of seedling populations along an elevational gradient, particularly with respect to ungulate browsing and plant competition? (4) What is the genetic diversity and relatedness of the seedling populations along gradients of elevation and substrate? We completed our sampling for questions 2 and 4 in 1996 (see our 1996 annual report for details). In 1997 and again in 1998 we continued our annual sampling related to questions 1 and 3.

scholarly journals Effects of the 1988 Wildfires on Stream Systems of Yellowstone National Park

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 191-198
Author(s):  
G. Minshall ◽  
Christopher Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
And Function ◽  
Ecosystem Structure And Function

The recovery of stream ecosystems in Yellowstone National Park following the fires of 1988 has been punctuated by disturbances caused by high flows in 1991 and again in 1992. In at least a third of the study sites, changes in channel conditions in 1992 were equal or greater than those documented in the preceding year. These impacts are expected to translate into reductions in primary production, benthic organic matter, and macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity over the next few years in most of streams draining burned watersheds in and adjacent to the Park. However, in Cache Creek and its tributaries the changes are so profound that recovery of biotic structure and function to prefire or reference stream conditions are unlikely to occur in succeeding decades or even centuries. Comparison of conditions in Cache Creek with those in other, less severely impacted watersheds in subsequent years could provide valuable insights into the differences in ecosystem response to severe versus moderate disturbance following fire or other comparable impacts such as overgrazing or climate change. The changes which occurred in Cache Creek in 1992 are expected to result in much reduced rates of recovery in ecosystem structure and function and possibly to the establishment of new (lowered) equilibrium conditions. Although such a possible outcome has been postulated (Minshall et al. 1989), the ideas have never been tested. Examination of additional streams, coupled with analysis using Geographical Information System (GIS), would permit determination of whether the adverse effects seen in Cache Creek are widespread or limited to only a f drainages and whether they are in the normal range of conditions or have been magnified as a result of fire suppression or other factors.

Ultrastructural Localization of Phycocyanin in the Acidophilic, Thermophilic Alga, Cyanidium Caldarium

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 462-463
Author(s):  
M. R. Edwards ◽  
J. D. Mainwaring
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Ultrastructural Localization ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Cyanidium Caldarium ◽  
Taxonomic Rank ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Standard Methods ◽  
Laboratory Cultures

Although the general ultrastructure of Cyanidium caldarium, an acidophilic, thermophilic alga of questionable taxonomic rank, has been extensively studied (see review of literature in reference 1), some peculiar ultrastructural features of the chloroplast of this alga have not been noted by other investigators.Cells were collected and prepared for thin sections at the Yellowstone National Park and were also grown in laboratory cultures (45-52°C; pH 2-5). Fixation (glutaraldehyde-osmium), dehydration (ethanol), and embedding (Epon 812) were accomplished by standard methods. Replicas of frozenfracture d- etched cells were obtained in a Balzers apparatus. In addition, cells were examined after disruption in a French Press.

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