This book is an authoritative work on the ecology of some of America‎'‎s most iconic large mammals in a natural environment ‎- and of the interplay between climate‎,‎ landscape‎,‎ and animals in the interior of the world‎'‎s first and most famous national park‎.‎Central Yellowstone includes the range of one of the largest migratory populations of bison in North America as well as a unique elk herd that remains in the park year round‎.‎ These populations live in a varied landscape with seasonal and often extreme patterns of climate and food abundance‎.‎ The reintroduction of wolves into the park a decade ago resulted in scientific and public controversy about the effect of large predators on their prey‎,‎ a debate closely examined in the book‎.‎ Introductory chapters describe the geography‎,‎ geology and vegetation of the ecosystem‎.‎ The elk and bison are then introduced and their population ecology described both pre‎- and post‎- wolf introduction‎,‎ enabling valuable insights into the demographic and behavioral consequences for their ungulate prey‎.‎ Subsequent chapters describe the wildlife‎-human interactions and show how scientific research can inform the debate and policy issues surrounding winter recreation in Yellowstone‎.‎ The book closes with a discussion of how this ecological knowledge can be used to educate the public‎,‎ both about Yellowstone itself and about science‎,‎ ecology and the environment in general‎.‎ Yellowstone National Park exemplifies some of the currently most hotly debated and high‎-profile ecological‎,‎ wildlife management‎,‎ and environmental policy issues and this book will have broad appeal not only to academic ecologists‎,‎ but also to natural resource students‎,‎ managers‎,‎ biologists‎,‎ policy makers‎,‎ administrators and the general public‎.‎

• Author‎:‎ Robert A‎.‎ Garrott‎,‎ Patrick James White
• Publisher‎:‎ Elsevier
• ISBN‎:‎ 9780123741745