Drought can have severe consequences for Wyoming’s wildlife due to impacts on habitat. Drought can lead to poor leader growth on plants like shrubs because the roots aren’t getting the necessary moisture to grow. Native forbs often won’t emerge in times of drought, a natural adaptation to the environment, which means even less for wildlife to eat. These impacts can last for years and leave wildlife like elk, deer and pronghorn hungry during spring when they need succulent new growth to support gestation and during the coldest months of the year, leading to population level impacts.
Wildlife depend on lush habitat for other biological needs, too. For example, on hot days moose require a cool, wet place to lie down and cool off, like a stream or a bog. If those places aren’t available, moose can’t regulate their temperatures well.
Further, in times of drought, invasive plant species can flourish. Invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass, can become abundant because their shallow roots absorb the majority of available moisture before native plants emerge. They also can quickly occupy voids left by fire or dry streambanks. These types of invasive annual grasses provide little nutritional value for wildlife and the dry stems left behind helps to spread fire in habitats, such as the sagebrush steppe, that have not evolved to burn as often as they do with cheatgrass present. To learn more about habitat work in Wyoming, visit our online habitat plan.
Wildlife depend on lush habitat for other biological needs, too. For example, on hot days moose require a cool, wet place to lie down and cool off, like a stream or a bog. If those places aren’t available, moose can’t regulate their temperatures well.
Further, in times of drought, invasive plant species can flourish. Invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass, can become abundant because their shallow roots absorb the majority of available moisture before native plants emerge. They also can quickly occupy voids left by fire or dry streambanks. These types of invasive annual grasses provide little nutritional value for wildlife and the dry stems left behind helps to spread fire in habitats, such as the sagebrush steppe, that have not evolved to burn as often as they do with cheatgrass present. To learn more about habitat work in Wyoming, visit our online habitat plan.
Publish Date
Answered By
Ian Tator
Job Title
Statewide terrestrial habitat manager
Photo
Ask Game ID
294
Node order
21
Parent Node
1135