HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Grizzly bears, bison and wolves — those are the typical wild sights at Yellowstone National Park.
But a recent scientific experiment tried to inventory Yellowstone's lesser-known inhabitants, from mushrooms and earthworms to rare plants and secretive bats.
Some 125 scientists and volunteers from around the country spent 24 hours in Yellowstone in August as part of a "bioblitz" — a sort of mad-dash to document as many species as possible over the course of a day.
Initial results released this week show more than 1,200 species, including many that hadn't been documented in Yellowstone before.
More and more national parks are conducting similar inventories. Scientists say they provide important snapshots for future researchers tracking the effects of climate change, human development and other disturbances.
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On the Net:
http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/index.php
http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
