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weather chart

This is a link to NPS.GOv about human impact

Keys

phase 1 current cycles

phase 2seasonal cycles

abiotc and biotic connections

food web

human effects

biotic

abiotic

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Keys

primary animals

why there important

recipient

phase 1current conditions

Temp: 60 F Precipitation: rainy Sunlight: mostly sunny day Soil type: rhyolite, basalt, andesite bedrock Water sources: rivers, yellowstone lake Topography: high elevation 8,000 feet

human invovlement

Geothermal activity: Yellowstone's volcanic geology is a major abiotic factor. The high temperatures and unique chemical compositions of geothermal features, such as hot springs and geysers, determine which specialized microorganisms (biotic) can survive there. In some areas, geothermally heated ground (abiotic) creates winter refugia for elk and bison (biotic) by melting snowpack, leading to localized geochemical "trophic cascades".Fire ecology: The 1988 Yellowstone fires were a major abiotic disturbance that reshaped the biotic landscape. While devastating in the short term, the fires recycled nutrients into the soil and cleared older trees, allowing new plant life to emerge. In the following years, a flush of new growth supported various animal species, demonstrating the role of fire in maintaining the long-term health of the ecosystem. The relationships between Yellowstone's living organisms and non-living factors are not static; they are dynamic and constantly in flux. The health of the entire ecosystem depends on the stability and resilience of these interconnect

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Food web

Yellowstone's food web is a complex network of producers, herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers that interact to maintain a balanced ecosystem. Producers: Grasses, shrubs, and trees (like willows and aspens) form the base of the web. These plants convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. Herbivores: Animals like elk, bison, mule deer, and snowshoe hares feed on the vegetation. Carnivores: Predators such as wolves, grizzly bears, mountain lions, and coyotes feed on herbivores. Wolves play a keystone role, helping regulate prey populations and influencing vegetation growth (a process called trophic cascade). Omnivores & Scavengers: Bears also eat berries and fish; scavengers like ravens and vultures feed on carrion left by predators. Decomposers: Fungi, insects, and bacteria break down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil.

biotic fetures

seasonal

Temp: harsh winters/ nights mostly sunny days Precipitation: late springs have an increased precipitation while winter and summer have declined Sunlight: 16 hours during summer 8 hours during winter Soil type: does not change season to season Water sources: rivers and yellowstone lake Topography: mountains

After wolves were extirpated from Yellowstone in the 1920s, a sequence of unintended ecological consequences unfolded. Exploding elk population: Without their main predator, the park's elk population grew rapidly and caused severe overgrazing of willows and aspen trees along riverbanks. Declining vegetation: The loss of woody vegetation led to a decline in biodiversity. Tree-dependent songbirds disappeared, and the habitat for beavers vanished, causing their populations to plummet. Riverbank erosion: With fewer willows and no beavers to build dams, streams flowed faster, leading to increased bank erosion and warmer water temperatures that negatively impacted fish populations. Competition and population shifts: The coyote population, no longer competing with wolves, became a dominant predator, which in turn suppressed the populations of smaller animals like pronghorn antelope, red foxes, and various rodents.