Yellowstone Wolves Need Help from Beaver

Summary:

The wolves of Yellowstone Nation Park had almost vanished completely over a century ago. Now, 18 years after their return, the wolves are often credited for restoring the ecological balance of one of America’s wildest landscapes. However, new studies might suggest that the wolves can’t turn the ecological clock back completely – at least not without help from the beaver. The research focuses on riparian, or streamside, habitats in Yellowstone’s northern range. About 25 to 30 wolves now live in the northern range, but the area is still largely lacking beavers that had once populated its small streams. This is because of an elk population boom – a consequence of the extermination of wolves. This left beavers deprived of the willow trees they need for food and construction material. The elks are eating the willows which leave the beavers to starve and die out. The willows also depend on the beavers because the dams that the beavers build create mud flats where new willows can sprouts; they also raise the water table, supplying more water to willow roots. When the wolves vanished, the willows of the northern range faced a double whammy: too many elk, too few beaver. The result was a scarcity of the willow patches needed for a healthy riparian zone. To determine if the wolves could rescue the willow trees, Kristin Marshall, a PH.D. student at Colorado State University, charted willow growth at four sites in the northern range. At the sites they fenced in some plots to provide total protections from browsing elk. They also built dams. After 10 years, the willows that were fenced in and suffered no browsing at all were far shorter than 2 meters, which is the threshold height that makes willows tall enough to reproduce. The willows along the dam didn’t make the threshold either. Other researchers claim that the system just needs more time to bounce back. Recovery of an ecosystem that is heavily damaged takes time.

Correlation:

                This type of research will enable us to determine if it’s possible to fix the damage we have done to ecosystems or if our damage is permanent. This could lead to big discoveries in the cause and effect of wild life on each other and humans on wild life. This will definitely make you think twice before doing something in nature because it seems one little change could affect more than just one thing.

Personal Reaction:

                I choose this article because I have complained many times about a certain bug or insect and wishing that it would just go extinct. I have never actually thought about the consequences that would have on other forms of life in nature. Even the most disgusting animals serve a purpose. It is just hard to imagine one small thing affecting so many other creatures, but if a wolf and a beaver need each other to survive I guess it’s not so hard to believe.  

Website:
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/02/yellowstone-wolves-need-help-fro.html?ref=hp