The Importance of Wildlife Conservation

Each and everyone of you in this classroom has a strong awareness to the dangers wildlife habitats face everyday, but we don’t do anything about it. Why? I feel the answer is obvious for most, “...we are to busy with life...” or “...I couldn’t make a difference...” both of these assumptions are the wrong outlook to take.With just these few changes in your everyday life you could help. You could start recycling, make your

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

Ed Yong makes very valid points on how the wolves of Yellowstone have impacted the overly populated elk herds. He has this to say about the herds; “Today the population stands at just over 6,000 down from 19,000 in the elk’s wolf-free heyday,” (ll57). This might seem like a terrible drop in the elk’s numbers, but it is actually a good thing. Yong tells us, “The large deer had run amok in the wolf-free decades, causing serious damage to the park’s trees,” (ll5-6). So in reality, while there are far less elk now, the trees can start to build back up again.

population and other things within the valley. The wolves did not have an easy life due to the

The wolves being reintroduced to yellowstone was a big change and it made the ecosystem swing right back from that overpopulation of elk and lack of plants that was devastating the ecosystem in yellowstone.But if the wolves weren't reaintrowdust then the elk would have grazed the grass so much that the grass would not be able to regenerate which would make it diy and send a chain of effects into moshun.Like the plans would all diy and make the ruts dry which would mack the ground unstable because there would not be any ruts to hold the soil in place and it would be a vay big dust bowl all over again.The other one happened because of over farming but yellowstone was not fare

-yellow stone elk populations started to flourish once wolves disappeared, although grizzlies and cougars still preyed on elk it was not to the extent which wolves

Conservation of our biodiversity not only demonstrates foresight, it protects the natural resources so vital to our own continued existence. The value of any single species to an ecosystem is immeasurable; the environment will not endure without its species, despite size or niche. These animals are not dispensable. And, they are apt to face extinction in the not too distant future, unless a resolve for their preservation is insisted by the public and enforced by governments internationally.

Farmers, ranchers, and government agents have been contributors to this decline by poisoning wolves and over trapping (National Wildlife Federation, 1996-2015). From January 1, 2015- March 31, 2015 there have been a total of 13 wolf deaths in the state of Minnesota. A total of 3 were unknown, 3 incidental, 1 was hit by a vehicle, 1 natural death, 2 under investigation, and 3 were illegal that included 1 illegal shooting and 2 illegal snares. (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2015) Humans have not only been the factor of decline in wolf population, but the decline in prey (bison, elk, white-tailed deer, moose, caribou, and beaver) has decreased wolf numbers as well. Being the white-tailed deer population has increased the wolf population is back on the rise. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 2015, April 23) These factors are essential when it comes to determining the problem behind a decline in a specie population. We not only need to look at one factor, but a wide range of issues that can contribute to this

The effect of the new wolf population was a miracle beyond hope, the ecosystem began to recover and diversify greatly. When the wolves were introduced it was found that they killed elk and restored their numbers to something the ecosystem could carry in conjunction with other species who feed on similar resources. In this way a surge of beaver population can be noted, as a result of beaver population increase the rivers became more stable and lodging was created for a half dozen species. It was also found that with the hunting of elk wolves left behind food for other animals whose populations also greatly benefited from this new predator. With the reintroduction of this alpha predator, the ecosystem made great strides toward recovering and diversifying, stream traveled slowly, meandered less and forest began to grow anew. Despite some arguments that Grey Wolves are a menace to the area or sensationalist report trying to discredit the wolf the results are clear. While man was responsible for the over hunting of the Grey Wolf in the 20th century, at its end the mistakes were rectified and the ecosystem shifted back into

Then, smaller animal populations, such as rodents, rabbits, and insects decreased because the plants they depended on for food were now less abundant. In addition, the number of foxes, hawks, and owls that prey on smaller animals and the number of ravens, eagles, and other scavengers that eat wolf kill decreased. Therefore, the initial disappearance of wolves resulted in communities with considerably less biodiversity. However, once wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, substantial changes occurred for other species in the park. The top predators’ effects have ranged from altering relationships among predator and prey species to transforming vegetation profiles. For example, coyotes are potential prey for wolves, and wolf packs have decimated some coyote populations. The reduction in coyotes had allowed populations of the coyotes’ prey, such as ground squirrels and chipmunks, to increase. Also, scavengers such as ravens, bald eagles, and grizzly bears have benefited from eating the scraps from wolf kills. In addition, it is predicted that a decrease in wolves prey such as elk should cause broader, long-term impacts. A decline in elk population would

finally after 70 years they bring back wolves to yellowstone. The wolves quickly repopulated yellowstone. they kept the balance of animals such as: deer, moose,

“Hunting and ecosystem-based management is the smartest and most cost-effective way to manage our wildlife. The basic idea of ecosystem-based management is that you manage ecosystems rather than specific species or disciplines.” For example “you do not mange pheasants as much as you manage the ecosystem in which the pheasants live. If the ecosystem is improved, it will produce more pheasants naturally.”(1)

The number of elk dropped dramatically in calf numbers, Creel knew the wolves were not directky responsible for the decrease in population because wolves rarely attack the younger elk. Elk simply didn’t have enough energy to

A prevalent concern in the world of ecology is that species can be killed off due to non-natural causes, mainly as a result of the human population’s negative effect. This, at least, was a major concern for the wolf species as its population continued to decline.

Bill Freedmen, author of “Endangered Species—Human Causes Of Extinction and Endangerment” notes, “scientists approximate that present extinction rates are 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the average natural extinction rate.” These distressing numbers should be acted upon to save the endangered species and avoid the catastrophic change to this planet if these species were to become extinct. In order to produce change, people need to recognize that habitat loss, climate change, and poaching are all factors in why our animal species are going extinct.