Vegetation

There are three main vegetation zones in Yellowstone, all named for their dominant trees: the douglas-fir zone, lodgepole-pine zone, and the spruce-fir zone. About 60 percent of the park is covered with lodgepole-pine forests: these trees recover from Yellowstone's frequent forest fires more quickly than the other species. Soil type largely determines what grows where in Yellowstone. For example, lodgepole pines thrive in the poor soil formed by rhyolite volcanic bedrock, while douglas firs and spruce firs do better in soil formed by andesite volcanic bedrock, which retains less water.