Yellowstone Grizzlies Will Continue Federal Protection
By B. McPherson
Yellowstone Park Grizzlies will continue their federal
protection. There had been a move to remove them from the endangered list
within the park, but evidence of a diminishing food supply due to climate
change has them keeping their protected status. Like wolves in the park, grizzlies are an essential part of maintaining a natural balance.
Climate warming is being blamed for the widespread
destruction of pine forests that provide the grizzly bears with what was an
abundant supply of highly nutritious seeds. The pine forests are being attacked
and killed by the mountain pine beetle. The insect burrows into the trees and
introduces a fungus which eventually kills the trees. The beetles’ numbers have
exploded in the past 20 years due to a series of milder winters. Previously a
quick hard freeze killed enough of the marauders to keep their numbers in
check.
While the megafauna receive the most attention, smaller animals
are being affected by the warming trend as well. Rock pikas like their
surroundings cool and are disappearing from some of the warmer mountain tops.
The change in snow depth and speed of snow melt also affects
many of the other high country animals, whether there is a change in shelter
availability or a change in food sources.
The recent UN climate change conference in Durban South
Africa saw little agreement among world leaders as to how to cope with and
possibly mitigate the warming world. A colleague of mine recently said about
climate change, “Adapt or die.” Unfortunately, for many of our cousins in the
wild, their only option is the latter.
It is a shame to humanity and a sin, I think, how we are choosing to ignore science at the expense of the planet and our other co-inhabitants. I'm losing hope...I have to admit it.
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