Viewpoint: Ungulate Herbivory, Willows, and Political Ecology in Yellowstone
Open accessAbstract
Contentions that willows (Salix spp.) on Yellowstone National Park's northern range have declined because of climatic change, fire suppression, reduced chemical defenses, or other natural factors are not supported by available data. Instead, willows have declined due to repeated browsing by an unnaturally large elk population. By established standards Yellowstone contains some of the worst overgrazed willow communities in the entire West, but that was not true in earlier times. Prior to park establishment, predation by Native Americans kept elk and other ungulate numbers low which, in turn, prevented herbivores from impacting Yellowstone's plant communities, as those animals do today. Finally, the condition of willows in the park is also a test of Yellowstone's "natural regulation" program, and that paradigm must also be rejected.
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Excessive browsing of willows was implicated in the disappearance of beavers from small streams during the twentieth century.
“Excessive browsing of willows was implicated in the disappearance of beavers from small streams during the twentieth century [29–31].”
From Stream hydrology limits recovery of riparian ecosystems after wolf reintroduction (2013) · cites this paper as [30]
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- Authors
- Kay, C. E.
- Affiliations
- Utah State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kay, Charles E.
- Venue
- Journal of Range Management
- Publisher
- JSTOR
- Published
- 1997-03
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 139
- ISSN
- 0022-409X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2219107604
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Journal of Range Management (publishedVersion)
- UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › American Environmental and Regional History
- Keywords
- willow, ungulate herbivory, political ecology, Yellowstone National Park, natural regulation, fire suppression, plant community change
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