Geographic Location

Yellowstone National Park is primarily located in the US state of Wyoming, although parts of the park also extend into Montana and Idaho. Most of the park encompasses a high plateau surrounded by mountains, forests, and rivers. Additionally, Yellowstone is composed of boiling hot springs, mud spots, and geysers. Park boundaries enclose craggy peaks, alpine lakes, deep canyons, and vast forests.

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What's the Biome?

The biome of Yellowstone National Park is the taiga, also known as the boreal forest. A biome is an area that can be classified by the plants and animals that inhabit it. Various factors such as temperature, precipitation, light, and soil determine this. Climate in the taiga is cold, with average annual temperatures from positive 5 degrees Celsius to negative 5 degrees Celsius. In fact, Yellowstone National Park has an annual average temperature of only 1 degree Celsius! Precipitation varies, from about 20cm of precipitation a year to over 200cm. Much of the precipitation, however, is in the form of snow. The winters are cold and long, while summers relatively short and cool. Many plant species are found in Yellowstone, but coniferous trees are primarily dominant throughout the park. These trees shed snow easily and keep their needles through the winter. Important coniferous plants in this ecosystem include pines, spruces, hemlocks, and larches. In addition from conifers, mosses and lichens are present in Yellowstone and are an important part to the diet for various wildlife.

                                                          A map of the Taiga Biome

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Average, high, and low temperature (in Fahrenheit) of Yellowstone National Park throughout the year compared to the US average temperature throughout the year

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Coniferous trees in Yellowstone's biome 

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Ecosystem Images

Yellowstone National Park contains 292 waterfalls and cascades. These waterfalls are one of the most underrated features of the marvelous park.                       

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Old Faithful and the majority of the world's geysers are preserved here. They are the main reason the park was established in 1872 as America's first national park--an idea that spread worldwide.

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/020/cache/yellowstone-fountain-geyser_2018_600x450.jpg

The two main features of the weather in Yellowstone are composed of low temperatures and heavy rainfall. 

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Wolf pack roamed throughout Yellowstone until loss of habitat and extermination programs led to their demise. From 1995 to 1997, 41 wild wolves from Canada and Montana were released into the park. This establishment has helped ensure the species' long-term viability in Yellowstone, and has further provided a place for research on how changing environmental components influence wildlife. 

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The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and third largest in the world. The vivid colors of the pool are the result of pigmented bacteria that grow around the edges of the nutrient rich water.

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Yellowstone is a strongly unique region in that it is the only place in the United States where bison have continuously lived since prehistoric times. The park comprises the nation's largest bison population on public land.                                  

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Historical State of Ecosystem

Yellowstone has an extremely diverse ecosystem, famous for its flora and fauna as well as its volcanic, hydrothermal, and glacial features. The human history of the park begins 11,000 years ago when aboriginal Americans first began to hunt and fish in the region. During this historical time period Indians used significant amounts of obsidian found in the park to make cutting tools and weapons, specifically arrow heads. By the time Lewis and Clark entered the region in 1805 they encountered the Nez Perce, Crow, and Shoshone tribes. Although the Lewis and Clark expedition overviewed the Yellowstone region, the first detailed expedition of the area was in 1869, known as the Crook--Folsom--Peterson Expedition. This expedition, in which explorers examined the region, collecting specimens and naming sites of interest, lasted about a month. After vast observation and exploration, it was proposed that the region be set aside and protected as a national park. In 1871 a comprehensive report of Yellowstone that included various photographs and paintings convinced the US to withdrawal this region from public auction, and on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed The Act of Dedication law which created Yellowstone National Park. By 1903, railroads began catering to the tourists, bringing carloads of travelers into the park every day. 1916 brought the beginning of a new era known as The Age of the Automobile. Why was this significant to the development of Yellowstone? Through the mass production of cars, more and more average Americans could visit the park! However, with this increase in attendance, managing the area, in terms of wildlife and geological feature preservation, came under increasing strain. Due to some of the trouble brought about during this time period, by 1970 people began viewing Yellowstone less as a recreational playground and more of an ecological treasure which needed to be preserved and protected for multiple future generations. Furthermore, individuals fought to restore the ecological balance of the park by limiting negative human impacts while simultaneously not discouraging visitors. 

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Current Human Impact

Yellowstone birthed the concept of natural preservation and wildlife protection. The park is home to a multitude of breathtaking, beautiful sites that amaze visitors. Yellowstone National Park serves as a dream to hikers, outdoorsmen, campers, bikers, photographers, and tourists alike. Furthermore, the endless landscape the region offers provides new, never ending adventures. By establishing Yellowstone as a national park in 1872, laws and regulations designate all 3,468 square miles of the park as a highly protected area. For examples, policies restrict the hunting, logging, and the exploitation of natural resources. Additional laws regarding motor vehicle use, firearms, pets, and fishing have also recently been introduced. Furthermore, because of these various policies that aim to preserve the conservation of Yellowstone National Park, the human impact of the ecosystem remains fairly minimal. However, there are still various incidents where human activity has caused many negative effects. For example, animals have recently become more vulnerable to diseases specifically transmitted by humans. This has consequently lead to adverse effects on population of multiple species such as grizzly bears. An additional problem related to park contamination is littering. Trash is commonly left behind by humans and can be ingested by wildlife and also pollute the park. Finally, the use of vehicles also effects air quality, which creates smog and harms wildlife.

http://visityellowstonenationalparkyall.weebly.com/human-impact-and-the-future.html

Although many may believe that human intervention always helps preserve a natural ecosystem, incidences in where goodhearted involvement actually creates negative outcomes, revolves around the controversy of wildfires. Although Smokey the Bear has advocated for wildfire prevention for years, doing so disrupts a natural process, which can consequently have adverse effects such as the ones exhibited in 1988. During this year, Yellowstone experienced the greatest ecological event in the history of all national parks. A rage of various crown fires burned a total of 793,880 acres inside the park. After the fire, researches examined the trunks of trees and the evidence they gathered indicated that fires had been natural occurring throughout the past 10,000 years. Naturalist and biologists further concluded that the series of the 1988 fires was inevitable, part of a grand design to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem. This information fostered a change in wildfire policy--advocating for small, controlled brush fires--which has been beneficial for multiple forest ecosystems, including Yellowstone. 

http://yellowpark.weebly.com/human-impact.html

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Threats to Wildlife Biodiversity & Human Health (Academic Journal)

Emerging infectious diseases found in wildlife has become a growing issue in many National Parks. These emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) can occur when domesticated animals come in contact or live in close proximity to the creatures found naturally in the wild. EIDs are also directly related to human intervention in the parks and can be transmitted via host or parasite. These EIDs also happen direct human or animal intervention at all, which can make the threat even more alarming. This relationship is a positive feedback cycle where all the parties involved, benefit negatively from the interaction. Humans & animals threaten the wildlife species, while at the same time, the pathogens found in the affected wildlife pose threat to human and domestic animal health as well. 

     The diagram below illustrates the complex interactions between the hosts and parasites. 

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/287/5452/443.full

Most of the emerging diseases found exist within a host and parasite continuum between wildlife, the domesticated animal and human populations that are involved. Few of the diseases specifically target a single group, but rather affects the entire scope of participants involved. Some examples of these diseases include Lyme disease (wildlife to humans), canine distemper (domestic animals to wildlife), cat scratch fever (domesticated animals to humans), and rabies which encompasses all three categories. The rate of exchange between these diseases can be especially high in areas where the three groups interact more often and at larger numbers. National Parks such as Yellowstone for example. The wildlife found in the park is at a disadvantage in regards to the other two groups, being that the park is their home and habitat. Humans are free to come and go as they please, transporting their domesticated animals with them on their journey. 

The tables below are included to show the range of involvement and interactions between the species.  They are representative and are shown to demonstrate the broad array of pathogens, hosts, and factors that contribute to the spread of EIDs. 

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/287/5452/443.full

Parks such as Yellowstone are valued for their natural settings, but also for the wildlife found in the region as well. It is the park visitor's job and duty to be conscience of each interaction they experience in the park. In order to try to mitigate the spread of EIDs, an importance must be put in preserving the park, land, and wildlife. Limiting encounters and monitoring interactions in a safe way are the first steps in keeping parks healthy. 

The Future?

Yellowstone will be affected by climate change, land use, and invasive species in the future

• Biologists are taking note of the effects of climate change on ecosystems. In Yellowstone National Park, scientists focus on natural resource monitoring in order to evaluate trends in park resources and status. Climate change will no affect Yellowstone however for very long periods of time. It could be centuries until issues start arising

Land use is being studies

• It is studied to gain information concerning climate change, wildfires, and management of migratory wildlife. Land use is also used to understand past, current, and future trends that may affect resources in Yellowstone. By studying the past we are able to predict what may happen, and through this strategy make efforts to adaptation and work on ways to provide benefits through mitigation. 

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Decline of species variation 

• Wolves, trout, bears, and elk are all specifically targeted
• Humans must be aware of the harsh affect their actions have on wildlife found in the park. Biologists studying Yellowstone have noted that human intervention in natural ecological processes may be the cause of wildlife disease and mortality. Human activity found in the park aggregates the problem and causes more diseases to spread.

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Volcanic Activity in Yellowstone

• Yellowstone Caldera is located in the northeastern part of the park
• One large eruption 640,000 years ago and two smaller eruptions since then, the last one being around 70,000 years ago
• There are 3 areas that are prone to volcanic eruptions, but none are predicted to erupt in the near future.

Past eruptions have blanketed North America into ash, clouds, and debris

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Yellowstone is home to many active faults

• This poses threat to unpredictable and significant earthquake hazards