The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Chad Doherty

SCI 256

December 18, 2012

Treena Fiesel

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Jim Fowler once said, "Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the earth's ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature. This paper will describe the major structural and functional dynamics of the ecosystem, including change over time. The paper will discuss how humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles in the ecosystem, including impacts to the nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon cycles. The paper will define how knowledge about that ecosystem's structure and function can help or has helped to develop plans for the ecosystems management and restoration. Last, the...