The eradication of wolves began as a result of the fear of wilderness viewed within the wolves and later as a need to protect livestock, which was viewed as prey. When Europeans came to the New World they brought with them this fear of wilderness and a need to tame or destroy such wilderness for the sake of mankind. But this does not explain the cruelness that was used as well as the extent of the eradication that went beyond the need of protection for livestock. The extent to which the wolves were hunted may have begun as a having an intrinsic purpose, but later on developed into a more socially constructed form of masculinity. Men in the 1920s where viewed as smart, cunning and strong hunters that were respected for their craft. These gentlemen …show more content…
By eliminating the top predator in the Yellowstone National Park it left the gates wide open for the once preyed upon to rise up in numbers and create a vexing problem for the worlds first national park. As the elk number increased, the number of willow sapling decreased, this in part caused by the overconsumption of saplings before they are able to reach maturity by the continuously growing elk. The reduction in willows led to a decrease in beavers, which use the willows to create dams. These dams, which should have been created, would have created pooled areas for other animals and plants to thrive but never had the chance. The biodiversity of the area is decreased because of the removal of an apex predator that under normal circumstances would have been used to keep lower trophic level populations under control. The carcasses left behind also would have provided food for scavengers and plants, however, without these population controls and naturally provided services a disruption in the trophic cascade was created. With the removal of such predator, the lower trophic levels are able to expand in numbers to a point that is no longer sustainable for the ecosystem. A call for reconciliation ecology is thus sought for in the Yellowstone National Park as well as in other areas experiencing the effects from the removal of an …show more content…
Today, wolves are just as heavily constructed, but in the opposite view. Wolves are viewed to be the embodiment of wilderness, and that they are removed from human influences and touches. However, wilderness is far from removed and bears a strict set of rules for its use and creation. Today’s man does not need to hunt for survival nor does society need a gentleman to rid the wilderness of its fearful creatures. Today’s man needs a place of solitude, to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and modern technology (and most importantly his wife). A desire for an area that is wild and set aside for the sole purpose of getting back to nature is what the middle-class man seeks. The masculinity norm of today’s man wants wolves in nature because they believe it makes the nature “rewilded” and makes it a wilderness. Wolves provide the ecosystem with a service to help stabilize the lower trophic levels populations and in doing so have even changed the rivers of Yellowstone National Park and the kinds of animals and plants that inhabit the park. They also make the park a wilderness in the eyes of society and a place to be sought after for reconnecting to
The two relationships mentioned previously end up interconnecting with one another. Feeding the bears from the human-and-nature relationship not only impacts humans, but it also impacts Yellowstone. Same for the wildfire example from the humans-and-humans relationship.
While highly controversial, the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park has provided many beneficial ecological changes to the entire parks ecosystem. After a nearly 70 year absence, in January of 1995, 14 wolves from separate packs were captured in the Canadian Rockies and transported to Yellowstone National Park in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho (Sanders par. 2).
“Restoring an ecologically complete ecosystem in Yellowstone requires the return of willows--and with them, beavers. There's a clear threshold for ecosystem recovery. Willow stands must be more than 6 feet tall, the scientists found. That height is important, says Marshall. Then willows are beyond the reach of browsing elk, and can serve as seed sources for new young willows. Once willows have returned, beavers will gnaw down a certain number of them to build dams. The dams will further slow stream flow, allowing yet more willows to grow. The results offer new insights on the role of wolf-driven trophic cascades in the Yellowstone ecosystem, says Hobbs. Trophic cascades like that in Yellowstone occur when predators--or the lack thereof--in an ecosystem change the abundance or alter traits of their prey, in turn affecting the next lower trophic level.” ("National Science Foundation", 2013)
What do you think of wolves? Do you think they’re blood-thirsty killers, or do you think they are rather friendly animals? In the book, Never Cry Wolf, (1963) the author, Farley Mowat, writes about his excursion to the sub arctic Barren Lands of Canada to study how wolves act and how the community is being affected by the wolves. The people of Churchill lead Mowat to believe the wolves are something that they aren’t, which is a blood-thirsty killer. Mowat then uses the rhetorical strategy Pathos throughout the book to show you how he personifies the wolves and how fear is all in our minds.
For one, by 1980, wolves doubled to 50. By then it was apparent, ‘balance of nature’ seems to be the force that guides nature. This shows that wolves should be introduced because they are needed for balance
Over the past several years, the gray wolf, native to the Wisconsin area, has been listed federally as an endangered species due to the graphic and horrific treatment they had received during the industrialization periods of America, when they were frowned upon and hated because they are predatory creatures and did, on occasion, attack livestock and pets. Because the government was encouraging the hunting, including bounties for the animals, the wolves were hunted to near extinction. However, now Wisconsin faces a new problem. With the reintroduction of the wolves to the state, and their continued endangered status federally, the population has increased well beyond expectations, reaching what could be considered a problematic state. A
In this article, authors William Ripple and Robert Beschta focus on the issue of predation and the way it affects biodiversity and otherwise alters ecosystems. While many other studies have stressed the lethal effects of predation by carnivores, the authors of this study have chosen to focus on how nonlethal outcomes of predation affect the structure and function of ecosystems. The authors give two main objectives to their study: first to provide a short synthesis of the potential ecosystem responses to predation risk in a three-level trophic cascade involving large carnivores, hoofed animals, and vegetation; and secondly to present research that centers on wolves, elk, and woody browse species in the northern area of Yellowstone National
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” ― H.P. Lovecraft. Fear drives mankind to hate what he cannot comprehend. With this irrational fear mankind is controlled and set on a path of destruction and chaos. In the autobiography Never Cry Wolf written by Farley Mowat, the main character (Farley Mowat), journeys to the Canadian tundra to study the much-feared wolf. There he discovers the fear brought upon by men, and how it can result horribly for the wolves. The human race was so frightened by the unknown species that they began to blame the wolves for cold slaughters, portrayed them as vicious killers, and because of the fear of the unknown tried to exterminate
Wolves have always been a symbol of the wild, free in spirit and roamers of the land. These animals are considered majestic and protectors of the wilderness. They have always roamed the western United States, although their population has fluctuated over time. Over the past 10 years wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park has been a controversial topic to those of the United States. As of 1995, wolves have been reintroduced into the park. This has come with some strong opposition and yet has prevailed. The future of the wolf in Yellowstone park is now looking bright, although not certain since there still are those who want them banished again.
When given the task to study the wolves, Mowat is given a packet about their traits. “The wolf is a savage, powerful killer. It is one of the most feared and hated animals known to man, and with excellent reason” (Mowat 60). Everyone in the Canadian territory believes that wolves are deadly creatures, yet they don’t have a specific reason why. People start to believe things because someone says something that seems realistic. Mowat was suspicious about the reasons, but realized they were unnecessary. Mowat’s mind is set that wolves are vicious and people need to keep a safe distance. Over time, learning more facts about the unknown, it changes people’s viewpoints about the world in which they live in.
We could assume that every wolf was once a man. At the beginning Carter explains how wolves are “carnivore incarnate and he’s cunning and ferocious”, but yet she also explains how “melancholy” a wolf can be because “the beasts would love to be less beastly if only they knew how” (110, 112).
Drinking and driving can cause a lifetime of pain. When you get under the wheel while you are intoxicated not only are you putting yourself at risk, but also the lives of other innocent people are in danger. Everyone should have the right to drink but if you act irresponsibly, your right should be taken away. Each person is liable to suffer the consequences from endangering others. One who drives drunk not only should have their license taken away, they should have the right to drink taken away. Drinking and driving may not seem like a big deal until you see what happens when things go wrong. I would like you to read a personal narrative that Casey McCary Bloom wrote who is now serving 21 years to life in prison.
Sociology enables us to understand the different aspects of society; society plays a crucial part in our lives, looking at people’s personalities, gaining a deeper comprehension and understanding how society works is something which I’m fascinated by. I’m interested in topics such as government policy, education, crime and culture. Combined with sociology, criminology particularly captured my attention. The in-depth focus on criminality and the criminal justice processes; after doing some of my own research, I looked at the UK and US criminal justice system and noticed the difference within our systems. I have decided to combine my two interests in these and topics and pursue a degree in Sociology and Criminology at university.
The wolf was once a much slandered animal. In the western world, people feared and hated wolves, and this legacy is reflected in stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In these popular children's tales the wolf is made out to be a prowler and a killer of livestock and people. There is some basis for The Boy Who Cried Wolf, for wolves have killed cattle and sheep. But what of Little Red Riding Hood? There are no records of wolves killing humans in Canada or the United States. Yet, when wolves were spotted near rural communities, fear used to grip the populace, but over time this has become less prevalent.
Despite being a world-renown playwright, William Shakespeare remains to this very day a man with a past shrouded in mystery. Very few documents provide historians insight on his personal life. In fact, the record of Shakespeare in his earliest years is limited to a mere baptismal record that reveals his birth date to be around April 26, 1564. Fifty-two years later from that day, Shakespeare would be interred at Trinity Church. Born near London in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon as the third child to John Shakespeare, the local alderman and bailiff, Shakespeare is believed to have attended King’s New School because his father held an official position. Shakespeare did not receive any higher level education, however. Hardly anything else is known of the young William Shakespeare’s childhood.