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systems ecology

Area of Alaskan permafrost that’s size of Greece thawing

Area of Alaskan permafrost that’s size of Greece thawing

By Stephen Beech An area of Alaskan permafrost the size of Greece is thawing, reveals new research. Arctic and global climate patterns may never be the same as a result, scientists warned. As temperatures rise, the Arctic is warming around four times faster than the rest of the planet, accelerating

Maintain the Roadless Rule on national forests | George Wuerthner

In 2001, the Forest Service passed the Roadless Rule Conservation Act. The Trump administration is seeking to rescind the Act. During a brief public comment period, 99% of the respondents opposed the idea. The Roadless Rule affected 58.5 million acres of Forest Service roadless lands and put them off-

Riffle-and-Pool: Carving a new home for fish habitat in Anaconda's Fifer Gulch Creek

Riffle-and-Pool: Carving a new home for fish habitat in Anaconda's Fifer Gulch Creek

ANACONDA — Alex Leone stood at the edge of an engineered meander and imagined an eager youngster standing there someday making memories with a fishing rod. Leone is president of the George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The storied chapter is shepherding an ambitious project to transform the ditched and channelized

Conservation groups to sue feds over Flathead National Forest timber project

Two Western Montana conservation organizations announced this week they intend to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service alleging that a recently approved timber project in the Flathead violates the Endangered Species Act. Swan View Coalition and Friends of the Wild Swan filed their notice of intent to

'The bill is coming due': Reconciling the future of Southwest Montana's iconic trout fisheries

Conservationists and fishing guides continue to express concern about the condition of Southwest Montana’s fisheries after a mild winter, unseasonably warm spring temperatures, and the prospect of a hot and dry summer. “Water-quality parameters related to trout fisheries are in the pits; they’re circling the drain,” Guy

Invasive annual grasses in Montana

Invasive annual grasses in Montana

Invasive annual grasses have emerged as one of the most pressing ecological and economic challenges across the rangelands of Montana, profoundly altering landscapes once dominated by native perennial grasses and diverse plant communities. These non-native/invasive species — notably Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), Ventenata (Ventenata dubia), and

MSU professor explains how wildfires impact Montana ecosystems

MSU professor explains how wildfires impact Montana ecosystems

BOZEMAN, Mont. — As unseasonably early wildfires pop up across Montana this spring, including the Panama Fire near Cardwell and the Ordway Fire in Lewis and Clark County, researchers are examining the impact these fires have on local ecosystems. Wildfires have occurred in Montana for thousands of years and can be