New study predicts how climate change could affect Yellowstone

What would happen if, as a recent study examined, the temperature of Yellowstone National Park were to rise--in this case a computer model possibility of 9.7 degrees by the end of the century?

By taking the average of sixteen computer models of climate future that were fed data from five different local weather stations, the model indicated that drastic changes could come to the park.

For instance, the elk herds could diminish because the new climate, nearer to what sea level Los Angeles is like rather than at the average of 8,000-foot elevation of the park, would find their food source of grasses drying out too soon in summer cutting off their food supply.

Tree-killing beetles, once kept under control by extremely cold winter nights--that in this model would cease to be as cold--would destroy entire forests (photo) similar to what is happening now in Colorado, and the chilly rivers that flow through the park would become too warm for the native cutthroat trout to survive.

The report, written by Leslie Kaufman for Green, A Blog About Energy and the Environment was published in the New York Times September 27th.