Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior • National Park Service • Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone Park and Protection Act In 1872, the U.S. Congress established Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone National Park Protection Act states, “the headwaters of the Yellowstone River…is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy, or sale…and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” The Organic Act of the National Park Service On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service, a federal bureau in the Department of the Interior. The Organic Act of the National Park Service states “the Service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations…by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” ON THE COVER A bison grazes near Mammoth Terraces, early morning, New Year’s Day 2012 PHOTO COURTESY JAY ELHARD Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook 2012 An annual compendium of information about Yellowstone National Park U.S. Department of the Interior • National Park Service • Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190 Yellowstone National Park thanks the Yellowstone Association for its support of this publication Yellowstone Resources and Issues is produced and reviewed annually by Yellowstone National Park staff. Emily Yost, designer Jay Elhard, editor Tami Blackford, managing editor Linda Young, executive editor Copyrights All material is in the public domain unless copyright is owned by a listed person or organization. All graphics are by the National Park Service unless credited otherwise. Suggested citation Yellowstone National Park. 2012. Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook: 2012. Yellowstone National Park, WY. Available online at www.nps.gov/yell or for purchase through the Yellowstone Association www.YellowstoneAssociation.org ii Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook, 2012 Contents Frequently Asked Questions ...................3 Geology ..................................................43 General ...................................................3 What Lies Beneath ...............................43 Geography ..............................................5 Volcano .................................................44 Canyon Village Area ..............................6 Hydrothermal Systems .........................46 Fishing Bridge and Lake ........................7 Lake Geology ........................................48 Madison and West Yellowstone Earthquakes ..........................................50 Area .........................................................8 Glaciers ..................................................50 Mammoth Area ......................................9 Sedimentation and Erosion .................51 Norris Area ............................................10 Fossils ....................................................52 Old Faithful Area..................................11 Frequently Asked Questions: Tower-Roosevelt Area ..........................12 Volcanic Geology ..................................53 West Thumb and Frequently Asked Questions: Grant Village Area ...............................13 Hydrothermal Geology ........................54 Frequently Asked Questions: Introduction............................................15 Glacial Geology ....................................55 The Beginning of an Idea ....................15 Today’s National Park System ..............16 Life in Extreme Heat ..............................57 National Park Service Mission .............16 About Microbes ....................................58 Guidance for Protecting Thermophilic Bacteria ..........................59 Yellowstone National Park ..................18 Thermophilic Archea ............................60 Thermophilic Viruses ............................61 History of the Park .................................19 Thermophilic Eukarya ..........................63 The Earliest Humans Thermophilic Communities .................63 in Yellowstone ......................................19 Communities.........................................66 Increased Use ........................................20 Thermophiles in Time and Space ........66 The Little Ice Age .................................21 Historic Tribes .......................................21 Vegetation ..............................................67 The “Sheep Eaters” ..............................22 Major Types ..........................................68 European Americans Arrive .................22 Effects of Disturbances ........................70 Looking for Gold ..................................23 Trees ......................................................71 Expeditions “Discover” Endemics ...............................................72 Yellowstone ..........................................23 Managing Invasive Plants ....................73 1872—Birth of a National Park ...........24 Restoring Native Plants ........................74 The Formative Years .............................24 1886—The Army Arrives ......................25 Fire ..........................................................75 1916—The National Park Service Fire Behavior .........................................77 Begins ....................................................26 Managing Fire ......................................77 Boundary Adjustments ........................26 The 1988 Fires .......................................79 The 1940s ..............................................27 After the 1988 Fires .............................83 Mission 66 .............................................27 Frequently Asked Questions: From Managed to “Natural” ...............27 The Fires of 1988 ..................................96 Involving Native Americans .................29 Wildlife ...................................................89 Complex Times .....................................29 Mammals ..............................................92 Preserving the Park’s History ...............30 Birds ....................................................121 Historic Structures & Districts ..............33 Fish ......................................................128 The Legacy of Yellowstone ..................34 Reptiles and Amphibians ...................132 Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ...........35 Frequently Asked Questions: Biodiversity and Processes ...................36 Wildlife ...............................................137 Complexity ............................................37 Park Issues ............................................139 Winter in Yellowstone .........................39 Aquatic Invaders.................................139 Research in the Park ............................40 Bear Management .............................144 Challenges ............................................41 Bioprospecting and Benefits-Sharing .................................148 Contents iii Bison Management ............................151 Climate Change ..................................157 Northern Range..................................165 Sustainable and Greening Practices ..............................................168 Wilderness ..........................................173 Winter Use ..........................................176 Wolf Restoration ................................181 For More Information ..........................185 General ...............................................185 History of the Park .............................185 Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ........186 Geology ...............................................186 Life in Extreme Heat ..........................187 Vegetation ..........................................188 Fire ......................................................189 Mammals ............................................189 Park Issues ...........................................196 iv Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook, 2012 Preface This compendium contains information about the park’s history, natural and cultural resources, and issues. Each chapter is edited and carefully reviewed for accuracy and relevance. A resource list provided at the conclusion can lead you into subjects more deeply. More current and detailed information is available at websites listed below. How the Book Is Organized Organized to provide an introduction to Yellowstone information and major topics, the book begins with “Park Facts,” followed by “Frequently Asked Questions” and a brief introduction. More detailed information and topic-related FAQ’s follow in subsequent chapters. Updating the Information Information about Yellowstone constantly changes. Information provided here is considered current as of March 1, 2012. For updates and more detailed information, visit: • www.nps.gov/yell • www.greateryellowstonescience.org Exhibits, park publications, and rangers who staff visitor centers also have updated information. Preface v Park Facts Yellowstone National Park was Yellowstone Lake CULTURAL RESOURCES ROADS AND TRAILS entrance station operations, established on March 1, 1872.