Grass growing after Yellowstone fires

Grass growing after Yellowstone fires

Although the Yellowstone fires devastated the park ecosystem, the drastic disturbance was actually beneficial in other ways. The fire thinned the canopy and thereby allowed light to reach shrubs, saplings, and grasses. Furthermore, ash enriched the soil with minerals and restored the Park's verdant appearance. As one park ranger noted, "plant growth was unusually lush in the first years after the fires."

Jeff Henry

Yellowstone Digital Slide Files archive

1988-8