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Article: Bear necessities. (Spectrum).(pine trees in Glacier National Park)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Environment
- Article date:
- March 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The pine tree population at Glacier National Park in Montana has decreased dramatically over the past several decades, prompting ecologists there to plant thousands of whitebark pine saplings. The seeds of this pine are a favorite and nutritious food source for the area's grizzly bears, and Glacier ecologist Tara Williams hopes the new trees will augment the bears' food supply for at least one hundred years. Grizzly bears will feed exclusively on the fatty, high-protein seeds from late summer to fall if they are available, says Kate Kendall, a grizzly bear researcher for the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition to creating a sustainable food source, the new pine trees are ...