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Wolves and Rivers: Yellowstone National Park Transformation

Explore the impact of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park on the ecosystem and physical geography. Witness the trophic cascade and the transformation of the river ecosystem by these majestic predators.

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Wolves and Rivers: Yellowstone National Park Transformation

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  1. can Wolves change the river? Yellowstone National Park Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, USA

  2. In your notebook, write this question and your answer: Can wolves change a river? How?

  3. Background: • In the 1880’s humans moved WEST, causing them to come into contact with wilderness. • With increased agriculture, the wolves’ prey dwindled. • In addition, humans killed many wolves to protect livestock and other wild animals they wished to preserve as part of the protection of Yellowstone. • Unfortunately, this resulted in no evidence of living wolves in Yellowstone in the 1970’s. • The wolf population was gone. • From 1995-1996, 25 wolves were moved from Canada to Yellowstone National Park. There are now 300 of their descendants living there today.

  4. Stay tuned…. To see… WHAT HAPPENED NEXT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q

  5. What were the effects of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone? • Trophic cascade – the predators (top of food chain) control the population of the lower levels, such as other consumers or producers. • Wolves do kill animals, but they give life as well! • They killed deer. • Deer avoided the valleys where they were more easily caught. • The vegetation in these areas increased when the deer left. • Increased trees brought more birds and beavers, which then brought all sorts of animals that would benefit from the beavers’ dams. • More predators such as hawks, weasels, and foxes were drawn in.

  6. How did the wolves change the river? • LESS EROSION – the rivers meandered (wandered) less and had more sturdy banks, which created more stable habitats • The wolves not only changed the food chain – they changed the PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY of the park!!!!!

  7. Credits http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolfrest.htm

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