Whitebark pine decline in the Greater Yellowstone:
A story of birds, bears and the precious dust of Galadriel
The talk deals with the impacts of the mountain pine beetle and a rust fungus at higher elevations in the western United States and Canada, specifically on the areas around Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. The whitebark pine that grows at the highest elevations is being impacted as these pests expand in a warming world. These pines are a keystone species controlling snowpack and providing food for many birds and mammals including the endangered grizzly bear. I deal with some of the controversy seen in western states around this issue and what is being done to attempt to save this species.
Robert Antibus
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