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Willows in Yellowstone

YELLOWSTONE IS KNOWN FOR GIANT GEYSERS, BUT WHAT ABOUT GIANT WILLOWS? WE’LL RESEARCH THE REASON FOR THIS PLANT’S RESURGENCE ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, WILLOWS IN YELLOWSTONE HAVE BEEN GROWING TO NEW HEIGHTS.  BUT WHY?  ROY RENKIN OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SAYS ONE THEORY IS THAT THE WOLVES REINTRODUCED INTO THE PARK A DECADE AGO PREY ON THE ELK WHO EAT THE WILLOWS.

RENKIN: IF WOLVES COULD CHANGE ELK DISTRIBUTION AND ELK BEHAVIOR, THEY MIGHT INDEED BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROLIFIC GROWTH IN WILLOW THAT WE’VE SEEN IN THE LAST DECADE.

BUT CLIMATE CHANGE MAY ALSO BE PLAYING A ROLE.  RENKIN’S RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MORE DAILY TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING HAVE LED TO A LONGER GROWING SEASON… AND LONGER WILLOW STEMS.

IT’S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW EVEN SMALL CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION CAN HAVE PROFOUND EFFECTS ON THE ECOLOGY OF A REGION.

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