Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 33 INTERVIEW WITH ANN RODMAN SUPERVISORY GIS SPECIALIST, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK WHAT ARE YOU SEEING TODAY THAT SHAPES YOUR VIEW ON THE FUTURE OF THE PARK AND ITS ECOSYSTEM? Here is one example that is happening now and will only get worse. Invasive non-native plants have always been good at taking over areas of disturbed soil, like the compacted zones along road sides. Conditions driven by climate change (early moist spring and hot, dry summers) are helping these non-natives become more successful at moving into undisturbed native plant communities, especially at the lower elevations in the park. In some locations near the North Entrance and Gardiner, na- tive communities have been completely replaced by non-native, invasive annual plants. ese invasive plants take advantage of early season soil moisture, depleting it before the native plants start to grow. is competi- tion for soil moisture, combined with hotter and drier summers, is chang- ing the composition of vegetation communities. e Northern Range is critical habitat for the park's large mammals. To protect this habitat, and the ecological processes it supports, we are implementing actions to re- duce the spread of these non-native, early season invaders and keep them from gaining a foothold in higher elevation habitats. is is difficult, time intensive work, but well worth the effort if we succeed. WHAT SURPRISES YOU ABOUT CHANGES YOU ARE SEEING IN THE PARK? I am surprised by how fast some of these changes are happening. ere is a location northwest of the park, between here and Bozeman, that has lost more than 90 days below freezing per year within the last 30 years. at is an extreme example, but that same trend is happening in the park at the Northeast Entrance, Sylvan Pass, and just about everywhere we have adequate weather records. e rate of change is likely to increase between now and 2049. CAN YOU TAKE US FOR A SHORT TOUR THROUGH YELLOWSTONE AS IF YOU WERE IN THE YEAR 2049 AND TELL US WHAT YOU SEE? You'll need to use the mass transit system or plan ahead for a reserva- tion if you want to drive your private vehicle through the park. ese restrictions resulted from a rapid increase in summer visitation, driven by people wanting to escape the extreme hot weather in other parts of the country. If you haven't visited the park since 2019, the lack of forests will probably surprise you. Many years of warming temperatures and drought, combined with the frequent occurrence of stand-replacing wildfires, has changed hundreds of thousands of acres that used to be covered by white- bark pine, Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine into wide open meadows and shrubland with scattered young trees. e bison and elk seem to be doing well, but you aren't hearing or seeing many of the bird species that used to be common in the forests. It's too bad that the historic structures at Tower/Roosevelt and Canyon Village were also lost in the fires. e new lodge and restaurants are nice, but they don't have the same ambiance and historic authenticity as the original structures. You won't be able to fish for native trout during this mid-summer trip, because fishing season is now limited to the early spring or late fall. At least the park still has native trout, unlike many of the lower elevation streams in the region. ANN RODMAN oversees the Climate Program in the Yellowstone Center for Resources. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Geology and a Master's in Soil Science, Ann got started in Yellowstone mapping soils and fires during the summer of 1988. In addition to working on climate change, she also supervises the GIS (Geo- graphic Information Systems) Program and monitors impacts to air quality and natural soundscapes. PARK, WITH TEMPERATURES ESTIMATED TO INCREASE AT A RATE OF 4.8°F" CONTINUED

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