We’ve gone into Yellowstone several times now and have noticed the effects on trees that the 1988 and more recent fires have had, and also the effect that animals have on them.

Here’s a  picture that show what fire does.  Notice a few very tall “poles” – no branches or leaves, and a thick forest of shorter trees.  This is the effect of the 1988 fire.  Before the fire ALL the trees were as tall as the tall poles.  Most burned totally or fell over, a few remained standing.  The shorter trees are the result of the natural re-seeding after the fire.  Lodgepole pine trees, which is what all these are, have pinecones that ONLY seed when they are heated to a high extreme.  Fire does this.

Here’s a picture of a tree that a bear (not sure if a black bear or grizzly bear) used as a scratching post.  By the way, I am looking UP into the tree, the scratches range from about 5 feet to  about 10 feet above the ground!

And, here’s a picture of what bison do to trees.  Along the roads there are LOTS of trees with a chunk of bark rubbed off.  In the spring the bison’s winter coat loosens and starts to come off, but it just doesn’t fall off.  They have to rub it off and they do it on trees!  I also included a picture of a bison that shows his winter coat still partly on, and his summer, shorter coat of fur as well.