Wolves of Yellowstone

Wolves of Yellowstone

The wolves of Yellowstone had been absent for upwards of 70 years (Stewards). Until the 1990s when they were introduced back into the ecosystem. Seventeen years later changes have been made since the reintroduction.

Photo Credit: http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/94/137494-004-3D14AE05.jpg

The ecosystem starts to give back or take  to what has been given or removed. It can be called a Trophic Cascade as Stephen Carpenter of Britannica Encyclopedia describes “an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain, which often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem  structure and nutrient cycling.”

Photo   Credit:  Rolf Shutenhelm, Development of various species numbers after wolf

reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park.

They were brought into help with the rising elk population but had a dramatic effect on the rest of the ecosystem. Most shockingly is the change in the river beds and landscapes. (Farqhuar). The Beaver population escalated along with a rise in the health of the willows surrounding the river beds. “The presence of wolves triggered a still-unfolding cascade effect among animals and plants-one that will take decades of research to understand” says Smith a Biologist that was part of the article by Brodie Farquhar a writer for Yellowstone.  The entire health of the region has been supported by the wolves reintroduction. The cascade effect helps restore healthy habits of an ecosystem back into place.

 

Here is a video that is from Sustainable Human on Youtube it  helps show the impact visually. Hopefully this will show people the effect of taking a species out of environment and how devastating it can be.

It took years for the restoration to begin in Yellowstone and many places are past a helping point. This is an amazing effort and effect of the reintroduction of the wolves but it should also be an example of what happens when a species is removed. We as humans should want a consistently flourishing ecosystem all around us and in order to do that we need to respect the food chain and help avoid ruining it. It was humans who aided in the disappearance of the wolves in the first place. It is humans who aided in the reintroduction, and most importantly it is humans who can help prevent these extinctions and endangerment's before they take place.

References:

Carpenter, Stephen. “Trophic Cascade”. Britannica Encyclopedia, Ecology.

Farquhar, Brodie. “Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem”. Yellowstone, Wildlife; Wolves.

Schuttenhelm, Rolf. “Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone shows large predators help forests rejuvenate – and may increase biological diversity” . Bits of Science, 21 December 2011.