You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2014.
In which my brother, two ski friends, my dog and I embark on a pretty ridiculous backcountry adventure just to see how it will work. Part of a monthly series on doing fun stuff outside in Wyoming for WyoFile. Read the story here.
“The story of wolves in Yellowstone has been made true by repeated telling, not by good science. The trophic cascade story is stated as if it is undisputed fact, but it is not. It’s a lovely story, a simple clear one. But in reality, it is more nuanced, more complex, and it may even be dead wrong.” Read the story at WesternConfluence.org.
In an uncommon example of wide-scale ecosystem engineering, Howell and his team have made gradual, large-scale changes to how they move cattle through this and other ranches, and by their count they have successfully improved forage, biodiversity, and notably, livestock productivity. Scientists, however, who have studied “rotational grazing”—one term for the kind of practice Howell has implemented—have been unable to measure the benefits ranchers like Howell claim. Read the story at WesternConfluence.org.
Emilene Ostlind 