The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

A vestige of wild America, the birthplace of a global park movement, and a natural benchmark for measuring our way of life: this is Greater Yellowstone.

Embracing the mountain country in and around Yellowstone National Park, Greater Yellowstone encompasses some of the earth's most cherished wildlands and wildlife. Roughly the size of West Virginia and centered on an ancient volcano, the ecosystem is predominantly wild. From micro-organisms inhabiting acidic springs to bears foraging in alpine meadows to people cultivating arid valleys, all forms of life within Greater Yellowstone are inextricably linked. Pull a string on one end of that web and you will find it attached to everything else.

Within Greater Yellowstone the headwaters of three major river systems – the Yellowstone, the Snake, and the Green – support a renowned trout fishery and are the lifeblood of agriculture, towns, and cities. The region's heart – Yellowstone, the world's first national park – holds the planet's most diverse and intact collection of geysers and hot springs, drawing visitors from around the world. The park is also a refuge for hundreds of wildlife species, including rare trumpeter swans, our largest herds of elk, and free-roaming bison, wolves, and grizzly bears.

Each of Greater Yellowstone's aspects alone – its volcanic history, its wildlife, waterfalls, and geysers – would justify park designation. Together they constitute one of the earth's most diverse and dynamic natural regions.

Modern science has established that an ecosystem is a dynamic collection of plants, animals, and their physical environment interacting through a variety of processes and operating as a unit. Plants grow by drawing energy from the sun and nutrients from soils and decaying matter. Animals eat plants and each other. When animals die, their decomposing carcasses cycle nutrients back into the system. An ecosystem is self-sustaining, consuming and producing both organic materials and energy.

Ecosystem Maps:

Physical Relief (398k)

Political Jurisdictions (479k)

Forests, Wilderness & Parks (423k)

Land Ownership (425k)

greater yellowstone ecosystem map for sale

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An ecosystem can be as small as a pond or as large as the planet. The 18-million acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the largest, relatively intact temperate zone ecosystems left on Earth. Straddling Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, portions of seven surrounding national forests, three national wildlife refuges, and state and private lands.

While much of the region surrounding the Ecosystem has been transformed from high plains to agricultural use, Greater Yellowstone still contains nearly all the living organisms present in pre-Columbian times, though not in the same numbers.

Greater Yellowstone is a rare and extraordinary place.

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