Doug's Blog

Rants from a renegade naturalist

Yellowstone Grizzlies and the loss of Whitebark Pine

Here's the beginning of the battle to remove Endangered Species' protection for Yellowstone grizzly bears by the federal goverment, headed by the USFWS team. We believe this USGS study of Yellowstone's grizzlies is a good example of terrible science and shoddy methology. Accordingly, we will fight to prevent "Delisting," in the courts if necessary. The Yellowstone grizzly will need all the help it can get with this fight for survival. 

 

Here's a recent post and link by Andrea peacock with a comment by Doug.

 
Andrea Peacock shared a link.
Great story by Natalie Storey:
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  • Andrea Peacock Except, whitebark pine isn't recovering: it's "functionally extinct" in the GYE, according to biologist Jesse Logan. Infection rates are down because the trees are nearly all dead (and useless as a food source for griz).
  • Doug Peacock The Yellowstone NPS statement, "Some species that were under stress are showing signs of recovery, like the whitebark pine," is totally bogus. When 96% of whitebark pine trees are already dead, dying or infected, it doesn't matter how many cones the remaining 4% of trees produce. Seedling whitebark pines will never survive the 35 years of global warming and pine beetle infestation to grow to mature cone-producing trees. As grizzly food, it's gone.

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