Posted by Ranger Janet (165.83.6.33) on September 12, 2002 at 15:13:31:
In Reply to: Fire Friends posted by Bobby and Andrew on September 12, 2002 at 14:24:06:
: Does the fires help any animals?
Hi Bobby and Andrew,
Yes, fire has been a friend to many Yellowstone animals. Many people were concerned about the effects that the great Yellowstone fires of 1988 would have on the park's animals. In the first year after the fires, wildlife generally enjoyed several benefits of the postfire environment. Both grazers (such as elk, bison, rodents, ground squirrels)and browsers (such as deer and moose) benefited from the new habitats and succulent vegetative growth. As these populations flourished, so did predators and scavengers. Cavity-nesting birds took advantage of the standing dead trees, and many other birds thrived on the increase in insects found in decaying trees.