Controversy over Biological, Yellowstone's Resources

Chester, Charles

I n September 1995, more than 100 microbiologists, park administrators, and industrial biotechnologists came together in Yellowstone National Park to discuss the ecology and evolution of the thermophilic ("heat loving") microorganisms that live in the park's numerous thermal features. 1 Their discussions were not limited to scientific issues, however; they also addressed the increasingly important commercial use of the park's thermophilic biodiversity. Microorganisms that live in high-temperature environments have proven useful to indusuy in a number of ways, most importantly DNA amplification. Commercial use of such resources raises two important questions: Is it permitted under National Park Service regulations? And does the park deserve some sort of compensation for it? Yellowstone's microorganisms also entail two fundamental lessons for environmental management. First, they offer policymakers a potential "win-win-win" situation: Under the right conditions, conservation, science, and economic development can all benefit from their use. Second, in protecting biodiversity the national parks preserve options for the future, including uses that cannot possibly be foreseen by the current generation. This article examines the issues attending humanity's use of biodiversity from the standpoint of one particularly valuable microorganism discovered at Yellowstone. After reviewing the commercial significance of this and other microorganisms, it addresses two key questions: the legality of exploiting resources from national parks and the best ways to compensate parks for the use of those resources.

Controversy over Biological, Yellowstone's Resources

Series

Collections