AR-News: (US WY) Bison inflict toll on Elk Refuge trees

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

JACKSON (AP) -- The hundreds of bison wintering on the National Elk Refuge 
are inflicting a toll on cottonwood trees.

When they're not eating food pellets put out for both elk and bison, the 
bison graze and groom themselves on cottonwoods and other plants.

About 716 bison are on the 25,000-acre refuge this winter. The result is no 
young cottonwoods survive and older ones are becoming decrepit, prone to wind 
and rot.

"They're sort of Bonsai cottonwoods -- but not by design," said Bruce Smith, 
senior wildlife biologist on the refuge.
"You're seeing the last of the cottonwoods here," he said. "If nothing 
changes, there's nothing replacing them."

That could cause a domino effect for the other species along Flat Creek that 
depend on cottonwoods and willows, which also are in decline.



full story:

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/03/23/news/wyoming/502646e3cdba
d5d887256e6000057840.txt 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/attachments/20040323/271eabfe/attachment.html