Native Wolf Ecosystem

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

Since the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone they have created an astounding and advantageous trophic cascade. A trophic cascade is 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. These often result in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling. In a three-level food chain, an increase (or decrease) in carnivores causes a decrease (or increase) in herbivores and an increase (or decrease) in primary producers such as plants and phytoplankton according to briticanna (how to make better). The entire ecosystem was able to become whole again because the wolves, a key species, were reintroduced. Now this may seem weird, a predator comes into the area a begins to kill animals, how can this be beneficial in any way? Well the fact of the matter is that it is extremely beneficial. The reason being the problem in Yellowstone was the overpopulation of the elk. These elk had no predators, they were free to roam and reproduce, and they did this very well. Now elk are also a

I am taking a class called global environmental issues and heard about how reintroduction of wolves has had very positive impact in Yellowstone, but we did not go much deeper than just stating so.

In this essay I will be informing readers about the history of the wolf in the western part of the United States, the wolf’s status as an endangered species, and its effect on the ecosystem and what we as humans can do to manage it.

The Canadian wolf can look many different ways.They can grow anywhere from 2-3 feet tall. The Wolf has fur and claws. When you think of a wolf, you can compare it to a dog. The teeth are just like a dog’s teeth. The Wolf’s tail is just like the rest of it’s body, fluffy and soft. A wolf is most likely to have blue or brown eyes. A wolf has four short legs, but they can run fast. The male can weigh anywhere from 70 lbs- 200 lbs. The female weighs about 50 lbs- 100 lbs.

The area of Yellowstone National Park has a long history of inhabitants, even before it became the nation’s first national park. In the area now known as Yellowstone National Park, wolves were once very prominent. However due to westward expansion in the 1800s, agriculture began to increase. This led to the wolves that once thrived in this area to being practically completely removed. The increase in agriculture in this region led to a lot of the wolves’ prey becoming reduced or eliminated. Since the wolves had a decrease in prey, the wolves began to prey on domestic animals, which then resulted in humans eliminating the wolves almost completely. By the 1930s the wolf was eliminated from the area. This was before people had an understanding of how ecosystems work and the interrelation of species. Now that the wolves were gone, elk then became overpopulated. A lot of the vegetation began to disappear as well due to the overgrazing of the elk. However after about a 70-year absence, in 1995 the wolves were carefully brought back to Yellowstone. When they brought the wolves back to the park, there was not just an effect on one species or one area but rather they affected the entire ecosystem of the area. I will discuss their effects on areas such elk, beaver colonies, scavengers, aspen trees, willow trees and cottonwood trees.

In Yellowstone National Park, scientists have been carefully documenting the impacts of wolves on the ecosystem, noting many changes for the better since reintroduction, (Berger et al. 2008; Beschta and Ripple 2010). As the ecosystem depends on the Gray Wolf to properly function predation, the wolves also regulate distribution and group size of each species, which impacts overall native biodiversity. Wolves primarily prey on large hoofed mammals such as deers, elk and moose. By preying on the most vulnerable (diseased, young, old, weak or injured) individuals, wolves can help keep prey populations more healthy and strong, (Carbyn

Many people tend to be afraid of wolves because of how big they are and their strength. However, we don’t see how important they are until there are drastic changes. For almost 70 years Yellowstone did not have a night where a wolves howl could be heard. In that time the deer population grew fast; because of the increase in their

Another challenge to the long-term survival of the NRM gray wolf is its persistent widespread public persecution. Many public landowners, namely ranchers, cite the gray wolf as being the primary cause for livestock population declines. According to the USFWS, throughout a period between 1995 and 2008, gray wolves were directly involved with the deaths of 3242 livestock (cattle and sheep) animals in the northern Rocky Mountain states. During the thirteen year span, there were 988 confirmed wolf kills in the region (USFWS n.d.). Many ranchers in the Yellowstone region assert that, even though they receive government compensation for lost livestock, they spend too much time and effort in raising livestock that perish as a result of wolf depredation.

Wolves in the Upper Peninsula have been a hot topic for many of years, especially the hunting and trapping of them. I think people pro wolf are afraid that making it legal to hunt them would eventually make them an extinct animal. This shows us a type of supply and demand, where the supply is the wolves in their natural environment and the demand is where the people live and want to live in harmony with the wolves.

Their population has changed throughout the years. At one time, they disappeared from 48 states but then returned mainly to Alaska, the Great Lakes, Northern Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest. As of 2016 their population in the Western Great Lakes totaled 3,765. In the Northern Rocky Mountains, it totaled 1,782. In Alaska, they totaled 7,700 to 11,200 wolves. Since the gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list in several states three years ago, Predator Defense estimates about 2,800 wolves have been killed in 6 states. And there are only about 5,000 grey wolves left in the lower 48 states! Wolf hunting is allowed in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Critics say wolf hunting is vicious and violent, and

When the wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National park, the wolves’ prey decreased in populations, and the producers had increases in population. In The Importance of Predators, the Yellowstone Case, it shows that the Yellowstone valley had birds, bison, and beavers 150 years ago. Then in 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone after being killed in the 1930’s. These wolves ate animals such as the bison, whose population was starting to vanish in Yellowstone. This shows that due to the wolves’ reintroduction, bison was lost, which was one of the wolves’ main prey. Another piece of evidence is that the beaver population increased vastly during the wolves’ reintroduction in 1995. Beavers, which are not wolf prey, need willow trees

Recently I read a news article on the reintroduction of wolves into Scotland. This sparked my interest because I felt that most people have misconceptions about what they eat, why they kill and how dangerous they are to people. It seems that the re-introduction of wolves could have a massive impact on the environment. The questions are: Should large predators such as the wolf be re-introduced into the wild? And is it truly safe? (75) (no.1)

The raven, eagle, and crow populations are growing due to the leftovers of the wolves.

Many species rely on the wolf to keep the ecosystem in balance. Coyotes, for example, become top in the food chain with the absence of wolves. Coyotes are unable to bring down the larger game, such as elk or moose who have no other natural predators and overgraze their feeding areas. They also help maintain healthy populations of elk and moose herds. When some elk are