Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem facts for kids
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is a huge natural area. It is one of the last big, wild places left in the northern part of the Earth. A large part of it is inside Yellowstone National Park. This area is very important for nature groups. They want to protect it. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is like a giant outdoor laboratory. Scientists study its landscape ecology and geology here. It is also a famous place for fun activities. Many animals that live in Yellowstone call it home.
Contents
History of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872. Its first borders were drawn to include all the hot spring areas. These hot springs are called geothermal basins.
By the 1970s, the area where grizzly bears lived became important. This area, in and near the park, became the unofficial smallest size of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This first idea of the GYE was about 16,000 square kilometres (4,000,000 acres).
Since then, people have thought the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem was even bigger. A study in 1994 said it was 76,890 square kilometres (19,000,000 acres). Later that year, a leader of a group called the Greater Yellowstone Coalition said it was 80,000 square kilometres (20,000,000 acres).
Protecting the Ecosystem
In 1985, some groups in the United States House of Representatives held a meeting. They talked about the Greater Yellowstone area. A report in 1986 said that different government groups were not working well together. This meant the special natural values of the area were at risk.
Many other lands are also part of the Greater Yellowstone area. These lands are managed by the U.S. government. They include several National Forests. Some of these are the Gallatin, Custer, and Shoshone National Forests.
Other important areas are the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, the National Elk Refuge, and Grand Teton National Park. The GYE also includes some private lands. These lands are next to the government-managed areas.
Since 1966, ten wilderness areas have been set aside. These are in the National Forests outside Yellowstone Park. They get extra protection for their habitats.
Images for kids
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Grizzly bear range expansion in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 1990–2018
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Current (top) and projected (bottom) distribution of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) in Yellowstone National Park.
See also
In Spanish: Gran Ecosistema de Yellowstone para niños
