Liz Hadly Tracks the Impact of Climate Change in Yellowstone

Summary

Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park, is facing environmental challenges. The park's ecosystem, once a sanctuary for endangered species, is now threatened by climate change and invasive species like the mountain pine beetle. The warming climate allows beetles to kill ancient whitebark pines, affecting the food chain involving squirrels and bears. Additionally, reduced rainfall and warmer temperatures are causing ponds to dry, impacting amphibian habitats and biodiversity. Despite its conservation efforts, Yellowstone is not immune to global threats.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Yellowstone National Park is recognized as the first national park in the world, established in 1872.
• 🐻 The park is crucial for preserving the biodiversity of large mammals, such as bears.
• 🌳 Despite being a well-managed ecosystem, Yellowstone is still vulnerable to external global environmental changes.
• 🌲 Whitebark pine trees are an essential part of the park's ecosystem, providing high-nutrient seeds for bears before hibernation.
• 🐿 Red squirrels play a critical role in the food web by accessing pine cones and storing seeds, which are then consumed by bears.
• 🐛 The mountain pine beetle threatens the whitebark pine, with the warming climate allowing the beetle to survive longer and kill more trees.
• 🔍 Liz Hadly has been studying Yellowstone's biodiversity for 30 years, providing valuable insights into the park's ecological changes.
• 🌡️ Climate change is causing ponds in the park to dry out, affecting amphibian habitats and leading to a decline in their populations.
• 🐸 The decline in amphibian populations mirrors the decline seen in whitebark pine due to climate change.
• 🌱 The park's ability to protect species is a testament to conservation efforts, but it also highlights the ongoing challenges posed by global threats like climate change.

Q & A

What is the significance of Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park, founded in 1872, is considered to be the first national park in the world.

Why is Yellowstone important for biodiversity?

As the first national park, Yellowstone has been instrumental in saving some of the great mammals and preserving a vast, carefully-managed ecosystem.

Who are the main characters visiting Yellowstone in the script?

Sean Carroll and Liz Hadly are visiting Yellowstone to study its biodiversity and the connections between plants and animals.

What role do whitebark pine trees play in the ecosystem?

Whitebark pine trees are crucial as they produce high-nutrient seeds that are vital for the overwinter survival of bears.

How do red squirrels interact with whitebark pine trees?

Red squirrels eat the seeds from whitebark pine trees and store the excess in ground burrows or middens, which are later raided by bears for their high-nutrient content.

What threat is the mountain pine beetle posing to the whitebark pine trees?

The mountain pine beetle is killing whitebark pine trees by infesting them, leading to the trees' death within a day or two after the attack.

How does climate change affect the life cycle of the mountain pine beetle?

The warming climate in high-elevation regions allows the mountain pine beetle to survive longer, thus posing a greater threat to the whitebark pine trees.

What is the impact of climate change on the ponds in Yellowstone?

The changing climate, characterized by less rainfall and warmer temperatures, is causing ponds to dry out more frequently, affecting the aquatic life and amphibian populations.

How does the decline in amphibian populations relate to the changes in whitebark pine?

Both the decline in amphibian populations due to drying ponds and the decline in whitebark pine due to beetle infestation are consequences of climate change, illustrating the interconnectedness of the ecosystem.

What is the role of Liz Hadly in studying Yellowstone's biodiversity?

Liz Hadly has been studying the biodiversity of Yellowstone for 30 years, providing valuable insights into the park's ecosystem and the effects of environmental changes.

What broader message does the script convey about the impact of global threats on protected areas?

The script emphasizes that even protected areas like Yellowstone are not immune to global threats such as climate change, invasive species, and population growth, which can degrade biodiversity.

Outlines

00:00

🌲 The Impact of Global Forces on Yellowstone's Ecosystem

Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park, serves as a vital ecosystem for its large mammals, but it faces threats from global environmental changes. Sean Carroll explains how the park's carefully managed ecosystem is being affected by these forces, which are harming both plants and animals. Sean and Liz Hadly, a biodiversity expert with over 30 years of experience studying Yellowstone, investigate the connections between different species within the park. Their first stop is at a healthy whitebark pine tree, a critical source of food for grizzly bears before hibernation. However, the bears rely on red squirrels to gather the pine cones, demonstrating the complex food web present in Yellowstone.

05:02

🐻 Grizzly Bears, Squirrels, and the Whitebark Pine Connection

Grizzly bears cannot directly access the high-hanging whitebark pine cones, so they rely on red squirrels, which store excess seeds in underground burrows known as middens. The bears dig up these middens for the nutrient-rich seeds, especially before hibernation. Liz Hadly and Sean Carroll find evidence of a bear scavenging for whitebark pine seeds in a midden. The interdependence of these species—the tree, the squirrel, and the bear—creates a healthy food web in Yellowstone.

🐞 Mountain Pine Beetles Threaten Ancient Trees

The whitebark pine tree faces a new threat from the mountain pine beetle, an insect that has long existed in Yellowstone. Due to the warming climate, beetles can now survive in previously cold, high-elevation areas, rapidly killing trees that have lived for centuries. Liz Hadly shows Sean Carroll a 700-year-old tree that was recently killed by beetles, emphasizing how quickly they can devastate these ancient trees—sometimes within a day or two.

💧 Climate Change Dries Up Yellowstone's Ponds

The warming climate not only affects life at higher elevations but also impacts areas lower down the mountain. Liz Hadly shows Sean Carroll a pond that once held water but has nearly dried up due to reduced rainfall and higher temperatures. This drying of ponds has led to a decline in amphibian populations, which have been monitored for over 20 years. The loss of wetland habitats is reducing species diversity and the number of amphibian populations in Yellowstone.

🐸 Amphibians and the Parallel to Whitebark Pine

Liz and Sean visit a pond that once thrived with amphibian life, but now the frogs are silent. The degradation of habitats for amphibians mirrors the damage to whitebark pine forests, both of which are being affected by climate change. The loss of these critical habitats is yet another example of how climate change is altering Yellowstone's ecosystem at multiple levels.

🦁 Protecting Yellowstone's Wildlife Amid Global Threats

Sean Carroll reflects on the lessons Yellowstone offers in terms of species protection. Despite the success in saving species like bears from extinction, the park remains vulnerable to global challenges such as climate change, invasive species, and population growth. Liz Hadly reinforces that while Yellowstone has many conservation successes, the fight to protect its biodiversity is ongoing and requires continued efforts.

Keywords

💡Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, founded in 1872, is recognized as the first national park in the world. It plays a critical role in wildlife conservation, being home to iconic species like grizzly bears and pine trees. The park is central to the video's exploration of biodiversity, ecological balance, and the impacts of climate change on natural habitats.

💡Whitebark Pine

Whitebark pine is a tree species found in high-elevation areas of Yellowstone. It produces nutrient-rich seeds that are vital for the survival of species like grizzly bears. In the video, it serves as an example of a species impacted by environmental changes and the mountain pine beetle, illustrating the fragile interdependence within ecosystems.

💡Mountain Pine Beetle

The mountain pine beetle is a tiny insect responsible for killing large numbers of trees, including the whitebark pine, in Yellowstone. While native to the region, rising temperatures due to climate change allow the beetles to thrive at higher elevations. Their presence highlights the broader theme of how warming climates disrupt established ecosystems.

💡Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears in Yellowstone rely on whitebark pine seeds to build fat reserves before hibernation, demonstrating the interconnectedness of species. The video uses grizzly bears to show how disruptions in one part of the food web, such as a decline in pine trees, can ripple across multiple species.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is a central theme in the video, presented as a force that is drastically altering ecosystems in Yellowstone. From the spread of mountain pine beetles to the drying of ponds, the warming climate creates new challenges for plants, animals, and habitats. The video emphasizes the urgency of addressing these global threats to protect biodiversity.

💡Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. In Yellowstone, the video focuses on ecosystems involving whitebark pine, grizzly bears, red squirrels, and amphibians. It shows how these systems are carefully balanced but can be disrupted by external forces like climate change and invasive species.

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal life in an ecosystem. The video highlights the rich biodiversity of Yellowstone, which is threatened by factors like climate change and invasive species. For instance, fewer ponds and less water lead to a decline in amphibian populations, showing how biodiversity is vulnerable to environmental shifts.

💡Red Squirrels

Red squirrels play an important role in the food web by harvesting whitebark pine seeds and storing them in middens. These middens are then dug up by grizzly bears, allowing the bears access to the seeds. The video uses red squirrels to demonstrate the interconnectedness of species and the reliance of larger animals on smaller ones.

💡Amphibians

Amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders, are used in the video to illustrate the effects of habitat loss due to climate change. With ponds drying out more frequently, amphibian populations in Yellowstone are declining. This serves as another example of how changing environments directly impact species diversity and survival.

💡Food Web

A food web is the complex network of feeding relationships between species in an ecosystem. The video explains the food web involving whitebark pine trees, red squirrels, and grizzly bears, showing how the health of one species affects others. When external pressures, like the mountain pine beetle, disrupt one link in the web, the entire system is affected.

Highlights

Yellowstone National Park, founded in 1872, is considered the first national park in the world.

Yellowstone is a carefully managed ecosystem, but it faces global threats, especially environmental changes that impact plants and animals.

Whitebark pine trees produce high-nutrient seeds essential for grizzly bears' survival before hibernation.

Grizzly bears rely on red squirrels to gather whitebark pine seeds from high branches, which the bears later dig up for food.

A healthy food web in Yellowstone connects the whitebark pine, red squirrels, and grizzly bears.

The mountain pine beetle, once controlled by cold temperatures, is thriving in Yellowstone's warmer climate, killing 700-year-old whitebark pine trees in just a few days.

Rising temperatures allow the mountain pine beetle to expand into previously cold, high-elevation regions, threatening whitebark pines.

Amphibians in Yellowstone are declining due to fewer ponds retaining water, a consequence of less rainfall and higher temperatures.

Ponds in Yellowstone are drying up, affecting species like amphibians, whose populations are shrinking as a result.

Amphibian habitats that once thrived in Yellowstone have drastically changed, and now, frogs and other species are no longer present in these areas.

The parallels between declining whitebark pines and disappearing amphibians illustrate the broader effects of climate change across Yellowstone's ecosystem.

Yellowstone successfully protected species like grizzly bears from extinction, showing that conservation efforts can work.

Climate change, invasive species, and human population growth are global threats that continue to challenge Yellowstone's biodiversity.

Yellowstone is a success story in terms of conservation, but its ecosystem remains vulnerable to ongoing global environmental threats.

The loss of key species, like amphibians and whitebark pines, could destabilize Yellowstone's food webs and overall ecosystem.

Transcripts

[CRICKETS]

[ECHOING NOTE]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MELISSA LEEBAERT: Yellowstone National Park, founded in 1872.

It's considered to be the first national park in the world.

SEAN CARROLL: There's really important lessons

from Yellowstone, great lessons.

As the first national park, this is

the place that saved some of the great mammals.

But this vast, carefully-managed ecosystem

can't protect itself from forces on the outside, global forces

of environmental change that are happening

so quickly that their impact is being felt here

by both plants and animals.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MELISSA LEEBAERT: Sean Carroll is visiting Yellowstone

with Liz Hadly, who has been studying the biodiversity

of Yellowstone for 30 years.

They're here to trace the threads that

connect the plants and animals living in this park.

Their first stop is a grove of whitebark pine trees.

LIZ HADLY: This is what a healthy tree

looks like, this bark.

First of all, you can see this is

kind of what's given it "whitebark," it's name.

This is what a healthy tree should look like.

So the stand that we're in is really in good shape.

MELISSA LEEBAERT: This particular tree

has had a hungry visitor.

LIZ HADLY: So these are bear claw marks.

Well, what's it doing here?

Why is it approaching this tree?

Well, it's because whitebark pine produce

very high-nutrient seeds.

The bears will come here right before they

go into hibernation.

And this is when they really pack on a lot of fat

in order to overwinter.

The nutrients from those seeds is directly

correlated with overwinter survival of bears.

MELISSA LEEBAERT: But grizzly bears cannot reach most

of the pine cones because they're too high up

on the trees, so they rely on a smaller animal for their snack.

Red squirrels easily get up to the pine cones

to eat the seeds, storing the excess

in ground burrows or middens.

Further down the path, they find evidence

that a hungry grizzly bear dug up one of the hiding places.

LIZ HADLY: all around us are middens from squirrels,

and this is what the bears go after.

And indeed, here is a pile of bear scat.

And in the scat are seeds from whitebark pine.

SEAN CARROLL: So this is most all seed.

LIZ HADLY: 100% seeds from whitebark pine.

And--

SEAN CARROLL: Found what he was looking for.

LIZ HADLY: He dug up the midden, and there they are.

MELISSA LEEBAERT: These three organisms--

the tree, the squirrel, the bear--

represent a healthy food web.

But a tiny creature is threatening the survival

of all three organisms.

LIZ HADLY: OK, Sean.

This tree, it's been hit by the mountain pine beetle.

What happens with these--

what you see, the evidence, are these little holes.

What happens when you see this kind of response

on part of the tree is that the beetles won.

This tree is dead.

SEAN CARROLL: How old do you think this tree is?

LIZ HADLY: This tree, probably 700 years or so.

SEAN CARROLL: 700 years.

LIZ HADLY: 700 years.

SEAN CARROLL: And how long does it

take the beetles, once they attack,

to kill a tree like this?

LIZ HADLY: So once they attack--

this is a big attack--

it's a day or two.

SEAN CARROLL: A day or two.

LIZ HADLY: A day or two.

SEAN CARROLL: After 700 years.

LIZ HADLY: After 700 years.

MELISSA LEEBAERT: The beetle has always existed in Yellowstone.

It's not a foreign species.

What has changed is where and for how long it survives.

LIZ HADLY: The warming climate in this high-elevation region

is allowing beetles to move into these, what were previously,

high-elevation cold regions.

And now they're high-elevation.

It still gets cold, but it's not cold enough to kill the beetle.

So they're surviving longer and killing whitebark pine.

SEAN CARROLL: So the warmer [? Yellowstones ?]

create an opportunity for the beetles

but to the detriment of the whitebark pine.

LIZ HADLY: Absolutely.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MELISSA LEEBAERT: The changing climate

is also affecting life lower down the mountain.

LIZ HADLY: There's a pond right here.

This is a pond that sometimes holds water

earlier in the year.

You can see it's drying out.

It's almost dry now.

Look over here.

Look at the dust over there where

the bison are moving around.

That pond no longer stores water at all.

You can see that's dry.

Ponds are less permanent.

There are fewer ponds that retain water.

And there are more ponds that never get water at all.

SEAN CARROLL: And why is that?

LIZ HADLY: So we've been getting less rainfall,

and temperatures have gotten warmer, even just

over the last couple of decades.

SEAN CARROLL: What effects do the drying ponds

have on the wildlife?

LIZ HADLY: So the big effect that we've noticed

is on the amphibians.

So we've monitored phibians for the last 20 years.

And what we see is that there are fewer ponds that

have amphibians, so there are fewer

populations of amphibians.

There's been a decline in the species diversity

within the ponds that have amphibians to begin with.

And there are fewer populations for each species in the area.

MELISSA LEEBAERT: They visit a pond

where aquatic life used to be teeming.

LIZ HADLY: OK, Sean.

So this is a perfect amphibian habitat.

We see the cover around the margins of the pond.

We see cover for birds, and for salamanders, and frogs.

SEAN CARROLL: I don't hear the frogs.

LIZ HADLY: No.

You used to hear the frogs.

I don't hear the frogs either.

SEAN CARROLL: So there is a really incredible parallel

between what's going on with the amphibians

and what's going on with whitebark pine.

MELISSA LEEBAERT: Like the whitebark pine forests

high in the mountains, habitats for amphibians here

in the valleys are being degraded by climate change.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SEAN CARROLL: Yellowstone shows us

that it's possible to protect animals, even

those that have been pushed virtually

to the brink of extinction.

We don't want lions, and bears, and tigers

to go the way of the dinosaur--

be gone forever, just something that we'd see in the museum,

and have no idea what they looked like,

what they lived like.

LIZ HADLY: Yellowstone is a special place.

It's a success story in many ways.

But it's not immune to global threats.

Climate change, invasive species, population growth--

all of these can chip away at the diversity here.

Our work is not done.

[MUSIC PLAYING]