Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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  • Visit
    • Current HoursDecember 1–February 29: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday
    • Hours & RatesPlan your visit to the Center of the West.
    • Group SalesWe welcome commercial group and bus tours.
    • Facility RentalsThe Center is the perfect place for your next event.
    • Visiting YellowstoneYour best stop on the way to or from Yellowstone.
    • LodgingSelect from a variety of local accommodations.
    • ItinerariesDiscover some quick day trips in and around Cody.
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    • InternshipsCollege students may apply to gain museum experience.
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    • WorkshopsExplore hands-on programs for kids, families, and adults.
    • Conservation InternshipsTraining for conservators from all over the world.
    • Pre-K ProgramsSet up a guided tour for your preschool class.
    • Field TripsInvestigate outdoor adventures for adults and children.
    • Highlights MapsDiscover collection highlights in each of our museum.
    • Games and InteractivesLearn about the collection through online interactives.
    • Lectures & FilmsPlan for future talks and view past program videos.
    • Western EssaysDelve into historical information on western topics.
  • Shop
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    • Clothing and Accessories
    • Gifts
    • Native American Replicas
    • Fine Art
    • Quality Leather
    • Native American Jewelry
    • Navajo Rugs
    • Pottery
    • Prints
    • Media
    • Baskets
  • Research
    • McCracken Research LibraryFind books, photos, archives, media, and more.Buffalo Bill Center of the West
    • Digital CollectionsExplore our extensive photo and manuscript collections.
    • Archival Collection List and Finding GuidesBrowse inventories of archival collections.
    • The Papers of William F. CodyDiscover scholarship on the man and the myth.
    • Fellowship ProgramContribute to new scholarship using Center collections.
    • Buffalo BillUncover in-depth information about William F. Cody.
    • Greater Yellowstone Natural HistoryLearn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
    • Western ArtDelve into the lives and works of western artists.
    • Plains IndianDiscover more about Plains Indian tribes and collections.
    • FirearmsFind a firearms bibliography, glossary, and more.
    • ConservationFind out how we preserve Center collections.
    • Rights and ReproductionsLicense or reproduce images from our collections.
  • Support
    • Planned GivingLeave your legacy with a bequest or estate gift.
    • Patrons BallAttend our annual gala fundraiser.
    • MembershipBecome a supporter and receive great benefits.
    • VolunteerSupport the Center with your time and talent.
    • Our next raffle car: a 1967 Pontiac GTOBuy your tickets online for this amazing prize!
    • Give TodayMake a donation to programs and operations.
    • Why I SupportSee what motivates donors to give to the Center.
    • We have a winner for the car raffle for 2019Winner: from Lusk, Wyoming, with ticket #0553
    • Raptor ExperienceHelp provide care for our avian friends.
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Home > Draper Natural History Museum > Grizzly Bears and Whitebark Pine in Yellowstone

Grizzly Bears and Whitebark Pine in Yellowstone

April 17, 2014 by Charles Preston

The Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bear and Whitebark Pine

pine cone

Pine cone from a whitebark pine tree

As army cutworm moths begin to migrate back to the plains in late summer and early fall, many grizzlies turn their attention to another high elevation food source ─ whitebark pine nuts. Whitebark pine is a widespread species that grows at the upper margin of the subalpine zone, up to treeline, in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas. Whitebark pine trees often grow in vast, single-species stands and produce cones containing large, highly nutritious nuts. Cone production varies greatly from year to year, and occasionally drops to nearly zero.

But in most years, especially high production years, whitebark pine nuts are heavily used by both grizzly and black bears. In years with poor whitebark pine production, conflicts between grizzlies and people typically increase as grizzlies move down from the high country to search for food in areas more heavily used by people.

Red squirrel

This red squirrels is one of the animals that will be competing for whitebark pine nuts

Many birds and mammals, such as Clark’s nutcrackers and red squirrels, eat and cache whitebark pine nuts. Red squirrels create especially large caches of whitebark pine nuts and cones. The large caches, termed middens, may be used for many years and may contain well more than 1,000 nut-bearing cones. Grizzlies and black bears often raid squirrel middens, stealing the seeds. Grizzlies may eat entire cones, but usually extract the prize nuts, maximizing nutrient intake per volume of material consumed.

Whitebark pine stands are under siege from several agents in the Greater Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains. Early in the 20th century, a non-native fungus, termed white pine blister rust, was accidentally introduced to North America from Europe. The fungus attacks and kills whitebark pines and close relatives. About 20 percent of whitebark pines in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have been infected and killed by white pine blister rust, as the fungus has spread southward from Canada. Prolonged drought and warming temperatures have also impacted whitebark pines both directly and indirectly. These conditions contribute to increased frequency and intensity of wildfires, usually ignited by lightening. Wildfires have burned through large stands of whitebark pine, killing about 24 percent of existing trees during the summer of 1988 alone.

In recent years, infestations by mountain pine beetles have killed huge numbers of whitebark pine trees. The pine bark beetle is a native species, coexisting for thousands of years with whitebark pine trees. However, cold winter temperatures have historically limited both the distribution and size of mountain pine beetle populations. Warmer winters in recent years have allowed beetle numbers to soar and extend their range in higher elevations. Compounding the effects of beetle infestation, drought conditions have reduced the moisture content of whitebark pines, so they are less capable of fending off beetle attacks.

Click on the below links to explore more:

  • Find out more about the Draper Natural History Museum
  • Learn how to be safe in bear country
  • Meet “Grizzly Bear 104” in our Draper Museum
  • Meet Grizzly Bear 104’s last cub in our Draper Museum

 

Suggested reading

http://store.centerofthewest.org/browse.cfm/-guide-to-yellowstone-and-the-draper-museum-by-charles-r.-preston-ph.d./4,555.html

http://store.centerofthewest.org/browse.cfm/great-wyoming-bear-stories-by-tom-reed/4,404.html

 

Filed Under: Draper Natural History Museum, Fieldnotes from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Tagged With: Clark's nutcracker, Grizzly bear, Grizzly bear food, Pine nuts, Red squirrel, Whitebark pine, Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park

 

About Charles Preston

Dr. Charles Preston is Senior Curator at the Center of the West and Founding Curator-in Charge of its Draper Natural History Museum and Greater Yellowstone Raptor Experience.

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