Bison People Land Update Fall 2025

The Fall season is here in the Black Hills of South Dakota. After some colder nights with frost, the land has quickly entered into its transitional season. Many plants are in their final stages of life, with ripping fruiting bodies, seeds heads, and juicy berries. The grasses are noticeably turning from green to golden and brown. The aspen tree's leaves are in their vibrant yellow phase before they go into their long winter slumber. 

In a year's long study of the effect of bison upon the Yellowstone ecosystems in North America, researchers tracked soil and vegetation changes across 16 sites between 2015 and 2022, finding that landscapes with free-roaming bison showed healthier, more nutrient-rich plant communities compared to those where herds are restricted to enclosures.

Importantly, the study highlights what Indigenous communities have known for centuries: bison are not just animals, but vital caretakers of the land. Today, Yellowstone remains the only place in the continental U.S. where bison have roamed freely since prehistoric times, offering a living glimpse of the ecosystems that once stretched across the Great Plains.

Reviving bison at scale, scientists argue, could help restore ecosystems across North America.


Source: Chris Geremia et al., Yellowstone's free moving large bison herds provide a glimpse of their past ecosystem function, Science (2025).