Yellowstone national park is witnessing a striking ecological recovery, driven by the return of one of the US’s most iconic species. A study published in Science in August shows how the migration of roughly 5,000 bison across the park’s grasslands is restoring ancient patterns and reshaping the landscape from the ground up.
Yellowstone’s bison are providing scientists with rare insights into how large herbivores influence ecosystems. By grazing, trampling and fertilising the land, they create a mosaic of habitats that supports a wider variety of plants and animals, from insects to predators.
These bison, descendants from the last surviving wild herd, now roam across nearly 1,000 miles each year along a 50-mile corridor, creating a patchwork of grazed and ungrazed zones.
