In effect, the bison graze with such intensity that they turn back the clock on forage green-up, hitting reset on springtime.

In fact, with every blade of grass that bison bite off and swallow, they are fundamentally manipulating the landscape to maintain the best forage for themselves. They even change the way spring green-up occurs in Yellowstone’s vast grasslands.

Without bison moving freely on the landscape, the springtime season of plant growth in Yellowstone would be shorter, the habitat would not be as green, and the grasses would not be as nutritious.

Remarkably, that allows bison to migrate differently than other species.

When bison move to higher elevation by mid to late summer, the herd’s small army of hooves and hungry mouths causes the grasslands to revert to earlier stages of plant growth. In effect, the bison graze with such intensity that they turn back the clock on forage green-up, hitting reset on springtime.

The effect of bison on Yellowstone’s plant growth is so strong that sensors on NASA satellites can detect from outer space how grassland dynamics differ between areas that are lightly or heavily grazed. Where Yellowstone bison congregate, plant green-up is different, and it’s not some fluke of local weather — the bison and their intense grazing are the cause.

Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Wyoming. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.