In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
The USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) is a key partner in the Greater Yellowstone region of Mountain Prairie because the center conducts research on natural resources in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Much of this research takes place in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Projects include black bear demography, habitat modeling, amphibian surveys, bison management, plant ecology, and more.
Managing the Greater Yellowstone
The Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC) was formed to allow representatives from the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pursue opportunities of mutual cooperation and coordination in the management of core federal lands in the Greater Yellowstone area. Go to the official GYCC website for information about the committee, their accomplishments, maps, and related resources.
Greater Yellowstone
[Image: Aaron Jones, Big Sky Institute]
The lands that make up the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are managed by a mix of private individuals, states, and several federal agencies.
Greater Yellowstone Federal Administrative Units are:
Description:Whitebark pine is considered a keystone species in subalpine ecosystems because the survival of a large number of other species depends on its existence. It provides many ecosystem services: controlling runoff and erosion, influencing regeneration and succession, and providing a valuable food source.
Life History:Like most conifers, whitebark pine has wind-dispersed pollen. Seeds are dispersed by animals and birds, primarily the Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana). The nutcracker has a mutualistic relationship with whitebark pine, and it relies on seeds from the tree as its primary food source.
Habitat:High-elevation, exposed sites near timberline
Distribution:Western United States and Canada
Status:In demise across their distribution due to fire suppression, mountain pine beetles, and an introduced blister rust
Resources:
Learn more about whitebark pine and monitoring efforts in Greater Yellowstone.
The NBII Program is administered by the Biological Informatics Program of the U.S. Geological Survey
