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can Wolves change the river?. Yellowstone National Park Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, USA. In your notebook, write this question and your answer:. Can wolves change a river? How?. Background:. In the 1880’s humans moved WEST, causing them to come into contact with wilderness.
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can Wolves change the river? Yellowstone National Park Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, USA
In your notebook, write this question and your answer: Can wolves change a river? How?
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.
Stay tuned…. To see… WHAT HAPPENED NEXT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q
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.
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!!!!!
Credits http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolfrest.htm