Natural History of Yellowstone Links Page -REMedia's ZooGuides CD-ROMs Volume 8


					Thank you for visiting REMedia's Yellowstone links page. This page is arranged into a number of sections, each with links to other web sites of interest to the Yellowstone student or enthusiast. If you are coming here from our interactive CD-ROM Natural History of Yellowstone, you'll already have access to all the multimedia content that is so slow to access on the Internet – narration, an hour of high quality video and animations and hundreds of color pictures. If you have browsed you way to this site from elsewhere on the Internet, please feel free to use the resources here. Searching for information on Yellowstone can be a daunting task on the Internet without help - just try typing 'Yellowstone' into your favorite web search engine and see how many hits you obtain! Natural History of Yellowstone is arranged into eleven chapters. To find links relevent to each chapter look for the chapter titles below. NOTE: Click on photos to see the detailed view

					Setting the scene The Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM and the associated links to Internet sites of interest to be found in these pages provide an introduction to Yellowstone Park and the surrounding area which makes up the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Sometimes called the American Serengeti after the vast, wildlife-rich plains of East Africa, Yellowstone is an unparalleled treasurehouse of nature within the boundaries of the USA. The following links provide introductory information on Yellowstone and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The Total Yellowstone Page The Total Yellowstone Page web site is edited by John Uhler, and it contains an impressive range of information. This is an ideal web site to start out with, as it contains pages on everything from Yellowstone's waterfalls to fishing reports, maps, weather information and much more. Highly recommended. Yellowstone National Park (National Park Service) This is the 'official' National Park Service' Yellowstone web site. A little more formal than the Total Yellowstone Page, but it contains a lot of basic information. Rough Guides : The Rockies If you are visiting Yellowstone and want some detailed information about where to stay, what it will cost you, and what you can expect to see, then this is a great web site to visit. You can even read other people's experiences, or add you own after you visit the area. Recommended. Yellowstone Online A site with a host of Yellowstone Information. Created by Bruce Gourley, this site has everything from a description of Yellowstone's trails to a Yellowstone history page. Yellowstone Journal Online The Yellowstone Journal is the only newspaper dedicated to Yellowstone. You can get it in print form if you visit Yellowstone, but why not look at the Internet version from the comfort of your study or computer lab? GORP - Yellowstone National Park A host of information on Yellowstone Park, from maps to facts and figures, activities to jobs in the Park. National Geographic Park of the Month - Yellowstone Lots of useful information for the visitor including an interactive map with photographs linked to places on the map. Park Vision: Yellowstone National Park A visually beautiful essay with many photographs. The images take some time to download if you have a slow modem connection, but if you can persevere, the wait will be well worth the trouble. Created by Pat Holleran, from Apple Computer.

					Greater Yellowstone is as big as the state of West Virginia, occupying an area of 18 million acres. Its focus is the volcanic plateau of the Yellowstone National Park, and the headwaters of important waterways – the Snake, Green and Yellowstone Rivers rise in this region. Greater Yellowstone consists of a number of distinct habitats. These habitats all affect one another, and so this vast area is considered by many to be an ecosystem in its own right. Mountain animals come down to the valleys to escape the winter cold, and Yellowstone's thermal habitats provide them with additional warmth in winter. Birds of prey that live on rocky crags feed on small mammals in the meadows. Animals from mountains and valleys may feed on the fish of the rivers and creeks. If any of these components vanished, the ecosystem would be destabilized and would change. The biodiversity of Greater Yellowstone is in jeopardy, and the greatest risk to the animals and plants is habitat destruction. Many examples of the ways in which this is happening are discussed in the Impact chapter of the Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM. Here are some Internet links relevent to the ecology of Yellowstone: Life at High Temperatures Everything you need to know about life in Yellowstone's thermal features by Thomas D Brock. Includes extensive chapters and color illustrations. Highly recommended. Yellowstones Fires An illustrated article by Shelli Johnson from the Yellowstone Journal. Very descriptive. Simulating Fire Patterns ... Interesting information for adults and older students on simulation of fires like those that burned in Yellowstone. Includes downloadable simulations.

					The Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM contains detailed maps of both Yellowstone Park and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The Internet is also home to a library of other map resources, from fishing maps of Yellowstone's rivers and creeks to views of the ecosystem from space. Here are some of the most interesting map resources we have found on the Internet: Yellowstone Park map This is a fairly basic black and white map of the Park, useful because it shows distances between the various junctions. Yellowstone Area Map locator Some maps of the Yellowstone region from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. SIR-C/X-SAR image Yellowstone Park, Wyoming Two radar images of Yellowstone Park with an interesting description of what the images show, and how they were obtained.

					Yellowstone Park and the surrounding areas of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho offer beautiful surroundings and it is no wonder that many people want to visit the area or even to relocate to it permanently. This 'human migration' raises a number of problems. The building of housing in the valleys shrinks the available winter range for animals. Roads and fences interfere with animal migration. The introduction of 'foreign plants' disrupts the local flora, and noise and pollution from traffic drives rare animals further into the wilderness. Besides these factors, the natural wealth of Yellowstone has proved a magnet for wealth-seekers over the years, from individual miners hoping to 'get rich' by panning gold in the rivers to giant multinational companies with plans to build giant waste dumps several miles from the Park boundary. Yellowstone's wealth is made of wood as well as gold, and battles have been fought to protect the region's trees for us all to enjoy. Saving the beauty of Yellowstone will require a much care, along with knowledge and open-minded innovative solutions to preserve the sights, sounds and feel of the Yellowstone wilderness. Such caring must extend beyond borders of areas of designated wilderness because in reality there are no borders. Man-made global climate change, population size, loss of habitat and pollution are examples of the fingers of man's influence on the ecosystem. New priorities are necessary to preserve a desirable world. We can all help. As the great leader Ghandi once said: "What you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it". Here are some Internet links related to the impact of humans on Yellowstone: Welcone to the Greater Yellowstone Home Page This is the Greater Yellowstone Coalition's Internet site. The GYC is the environmental watchdog of the Yellowstone ecosystem, and you can find information here on topics from the destruction of the ecosystems forests to the killing of bison to prevent spread of brucellosis. Help Yellowstone's Bison Roam Free More discussion of bison and brucellosis. Snowmobiles shattering Yellowstone's winter solitude Visit Yellowstone in the wintertime and you'll find out what the fuss is all about. Snowmobiles make both noise and atmospheric pollution and a single snowmobile puts out as many pollutants as 1,000 family cars! Noranda mine A furious environmental campaign was put together to prevent the building of this mine on the outskirts of Yellowstone. It became so important that President Bill Clinton visited Yellowstone in August 1996.


					Yellowstone's weather is dictated by its position in the American continent. In the summer, warm moist air from the Pacific Northwest is prevalent, but because the Cascades and northern Rockies lie to the west of Yellowstone, much of the moisture falls as rain before it reaches the area. Most rain falls in May and June (Yellowstone's residents call this the 'June Monsoon'). In the winter, cold arctic air is pulled down from Canada. The eastern part of Yellowstone is closer to the Great Plains and is usually colder than the western side, which is influenced more by the Pacific Northwest winds. Because there is a great variation in elevation over the greater Yellowstone area (from about 3,200 feet at Billings, Montana to 11,000 feet at the mountain summits) the temperature can vary by as much as 30 degrees F at the same time, on the same day, at different locations. In general, mountains are cooler than valleys in summer, but sinking cold area can make the valleys very cold in winter: West Yellowstone for example set a record of 66 degrees below zero in 1933. Here are some Internet sites related to Yellowstone's weather: Weather for Yellowstone, WY Want to find out where the rain is today in the Yellowstone ecosystem? Or the temperature highs and lows for the last few days? Visit the Weather Channel's Yellowstone page to find out the details. Winter in Yellowstone Winter in Yellowstone is a magical time, and this description adds to the poetry.

					After the birth of the Rocky Mountains, volcanoes started to erupt in the Yellowstone region, from Idaho across to Wyoming and north to southern Montana. This activity occurred between 50 and 40 million years ago and formed the Absaroka range, which can be seen along the eastern boundary of Yellowstone bordering the Lamar and Yellowstone valleys. Fossil trees were preserved in mudflows created by the volcanoes, and these can be seen today in the Lamar River Valley at Specimen Ridge. Yellowstone's geological history was not quite over. There were at least 3 volcanic eruption cycles in the last 2 million years, and the most recent eruption was the largest. All of central Yellowstone National Park is a caldera, the collapsed crater of a volcano that erupted during this third eruption cycle 600,000 years ago. You can find out more about the birth of Yellowstone and its present day thermal features in the Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM. Here are some Internet links to sites of interest: Volcano Hazards Fact Sheet --- Yellowstone The "Big One" in Yellowstone National Park? Is it possible that the 'hot spot' under Yellowstone could turn into another major eruption. When you realise that the last big Yellowstone eruption was 10,000 times bigger than the Mount St Helens explosion, it might be wise to check out the risks! Yellowstone National Park Region Seismicity Maps Yellowstone experiences low-level earthquakes on a daily basis. This site from the University of Utah is updated daily and contains a host of data. Yellowstone Geysers: Activity Table Some useful information for the visitor or geologist on the activity of a number of geysers in Yellowstone Park. About Geysers A fascinating description of how geysers work by Alan Glennon. World Geyser Fields Do geysers exist outside of Yellowstone? This web page tells you where to go to see them.

					Yellowstone has around 300 species of bird, ranging from large birds of prey to tiny grassland birds, from majestic waders to forest songbirds. This diversity is fueled by a wide range of habitat, including forests, mountains, wetlands, streams, grassland and shrubland. The Natural History of Yellowstone CDROM looks at some of Yellowstone's more common birds and their adaptation to particular habitats in the ecosystem. Here are some relevent internet links of interest: Yellowstone National Park - Flora and Fauna This site from the American Parks Network gives a lot of useful information on the plants and animals to be found in Yellowstone Park. Peregrine Falcon A data sheet to be found at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site. Bald Eagle A data sheet to be found at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site. Whooping Crane A data sheet to be found at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site.

					The plant-eating mammals of Yellowstone belong to several different animal groups. Many of the larger mammals are even-toed hoofed mammals which browse on grasses, shoots and shrubs. These include the deer, sheep, bison and pronghorn. Other plant-eaters include the rodents or gnawing mammals (squirrels, pocket gophers, beavers, rats, mice and porcupine). A third group comprises the pikas, hares and rabbits. These plant-eaters themselves provide food for many of Yellowstone's carnivorous mammals, described in the 'Carnivores' chapter of the Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM. Smaller herbivores are also eaten by birds of prey. (See the 'Birds' chapter). Here are some Internet links relevent to this chapter: Yellowstone National Park -- Flora and Fauna Wildlife Some pictures of Yellowstone's wildlife including bull elk, mountain goats and bighorn sheep National Elk Refuge Extensive information on the National Elk Refuge near Jackson, Wyoming, with details of elk biology as well as how you can take a sleigh ride through the Refuge in the wintertime! All about elk, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Information on everything to do with these magnificent animals, from threats to their habitat to info on other animals which live alongside the elk.

					At the top of the food chain are the meat-eating mammals (scientific order name: Carnivora). These belong to the families of dog, cats, bears as well as the otters, marten, fisher and raccoon. The abundance of herbivores in the Yellowstone ecosystem means that there is a plentiful food supply for the meat-eaters. The Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM contains video clips and photographs of many of these species. Here are some Internet links related to carnivores in Yellowstone. Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation Everything about grizzlies, including maps of their historic range, behavior and educational programs, including a 'Kids for Griz' program so that students can find out more about these threatened animals. The Total Yellowstone Page Wolf Report Part of the 'Total Yellowstone Page' web site. Very up-to-date, with lots of information on wolf pack sitings and news. Howling Back A great resource for finding out information on wolf reintroduction. Highly recommended. Guess Who's Loping in for Dinner? An article from Outside magazine written in 1994. This article was written before the current introduction program got under way. Life at the top of the food chain Yellostone Ecosystem Studies has several programs designed to study Yellowstone's animals. This page has a great article on the 'secret lives of wolverines, fishers and martens'. Black-footed ferret A data sheet to be found at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site. Gray Wolf A data sheet to be found at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site.

					It has been estimated that over 1,700 plants may be found in the Yellowstone ecosystem. These are often distributed according to elevation and orientation. South-facing slopes are drier and warmer than the moister, north-facing slopes. Moister sites tend to be more favorable to trees. Valley width can also affect the amount of rainfall – wide valleys tend to be drier than narrow valleys, because the surrounding mountains extract more rain from the atmosphere. The widest valleys in Yellowstone – for example the Yellowstone valley and Madison valley – are broad and grassy with few trees. At the lowest levels (4,000-6,500 feet) grasses and shrubs are found. Between 6,500-7,500 feet are the Douglas fir forests. Above 7,500 feet lodgepole pine is predominant, while above 9,500 feet spruce and subalpine fir are seen. At the highest elevations, alpine tundra, dominated by sedges and dwarf shrubs are usual. Here are some links related to Yellowstone's plant life. You'll find more information in the Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM, including an animation of fire succession in Yellowstone's lodgepole pine forests, and many beautiful pictures of Yellowstone's flowering plants. Yellowstone National Park - Flora and Fauna This site from the American Parks Network gives a lot of useful information on the plants and animals to be found in Yellowstone Park.

					The chapters describing birds, herbivores and carnivores in the Natural History of Yellowstone CD-ROM provide information showing where particular animals can be seen in Yellowstone. The 'Nature Watch' chapter in the CD-ROM gives some suggestions indicating where wildlife can be seen on an area-by-area basis. Here are some Internet links to sites with information on nature watching in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Wolf Courses and Outings Wildlife in Yellowstone A small selection of wildlife photographs taken in Yellowstone with details on where to see the animals. Photography Expeditions Although these phototours cost money, they offer a great way to learn about the wildlife of the Yellowstone ecosystem and how to preserve it on film.