No walk in the park for Elk of Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most environmentally protected parks in the world but we can’t protect the plants and animals from global warming. Yellowstone is plagued by disappearing ponds and lakes due to a decade of drought. Both plant and animal species are running out of suitable habitats and falling prey to insects, disease, and predators. The wildlife is suffering from weather related events such as intense storms, flooding, and excessive heat, which are all due to global warming as well.
Migration of animals and plants is changing all over the world. Migration lets animals and plants pursue the best food sources and allows them to survive the harsh changing seasons. In some cases migrating species are moving farther and to higher, cooler areas. They are looking for sustainable food sources and are traveling further to obtain it. Most noticeable are populations of butterflies, birds, frogs, and certain species of plants. It’s simple, they must move or become extinct. Yet, the latest research shows that migration is dwindling in Yellowstone due to climate change. This has been seen in the herds of Elk.
A recent study has found that the lush grasslands in Yellowstone have shrunk by 40 percent. Rising temperatures and drought has played a large role in the change of the grasslands. In contrast, satellite images prove that the lower elevations are showing a greening of vegetation. Yellowstone’s herds of Elk need these lower grasslands to survive.
New data has found that about one third of the Elk herds migrate and the remaining elk stay. The remaining Elk have a more stable food source than those who do migrate. The migrating Elks herd reproduction is down 70 percent. Most blame the shortage of food. In contrast, 90 percent of the Elk who remain reproduce. It seems that some of the Elk have changed their migration patterns to stay where there is a stronger source of food.
The migrating Elk also seem to fall victim to predators considerably more than the non-migrating herd. Yellowstone has seen a slight increase in the numbers of grizzly bears and wolves whose diet consist of Elk. The wolves have been reintroduced recently and they are having an impact on the elk herds. Wolves are not only eating the calves like in the past, but the wolves are dinning on large male Elks. Researchers believe that with the hot, dry years and less grasslands, the male elk are not able to bulk up. So they become weak due to less food, their strenuous mating season, and intense weather which makes them vulnerable to the wolves. While the opposite appears to happen with the non-migrating elk.
Many scientists believe that migration is adaption. Plants and animals move, or in the case of the Elk herds of Yellowstone, stay to survive and learn to adapt. Changing migration patterns are important to the environment and our ecosystem. A single change on one species effects so many other plant and animals species, like the wolf and grizzly populations in Yellowstone. Only humans can do the research and make the necessary changes. Unfortunately, other plants and animals are forced to adapt to their environments due to global warming and climate change.