When the wolves were reintroduced to the Yellowstone Park after after 70 years of being away they did have an impact on the ecosystem, although it was not as big of an impact as journalists and researchers gave them credit for. There are actually a lot of factors that determine the fate of any ecosystem such as natural climate, seasons, invasive species and conflicts in the area. Evidently, The elk’s behavior was changed partially once the wolves were reintroduced but it was not their arrival which brought back the plant life that was absent while elk were overpopulated.
Since Elk travel in herds they do not scare to wolves as easily as one might think. Additionally, their size makes them harder to kill and takedown making them a tougher target for wolves. Contrarily, grizzly bears are the main predator for large prey such as the elk and buffalo because they make for larger and more powerful hunters. The elk population in Yelllowstone has subsided mainly because of the rising bear population and competition from wolves has brought balance to the ecosystem.
In light of this information, it is good to preserve the natural wildlife of our ecosystems but it may also prove beneficial to educate the public on the real …show more content…
After wolves in Yellowstone were eliminated, with no natural predator, the elk thrived and ate a large amount of willow shrubs. The reduction of the willow shrubs caused a chain reaction within Yellowstone’s ecosystem which caused the beavers to starve, and without their dams, the water in Yellowstone’s rivers receded drastically. Once the wolves returned to Yellowstone, the minimal impact on elk population caused willow shrubs to remain overeaten, leading to the continual starving of beavers and the lack of dams persisting, which caused the water levels to remain