

How reintroducing wolves saved Yellowstone National Park - michaelochurch
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140128-how-wolves-saved-a-famous-park

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GuiA
[http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/opinion/is-the-wolf-a-
real...](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/opinion/is-the-wolf-a-real-
american-hero.html?_r=0)

> _This story — that wolves fixed a broken Yellowstone by killing and
> frightening elk — is one of ecology’s most famous. It’s the classic example
> of what’s called a “trophic cascade,” and has appeared in textbooks, on
> National Geographic centerfolds and in this newspaper. Americans may know
> this story better than any other from ecology, and its grip on our
> imagination is one of the field’s proudest contributions to wildlife
> conservation. But there is a problem with the story: It’s not true._

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nickbauman
Interesting op-ed. I do think that the author does his argument a bit of a
disservice by saying that 'it's not true'. Based on his own arguments and the
data he refers to, a more correct answer is 'we're not sure' (as in not sure
exactly how much or little the reintroduction of the wolf to GYE affected
improvement in the ecosystem's biodiversity).

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ars
Didn't seem not sure to me.

I don't have a way to tell if he's right or not, but he clearly lays out his
case that it's not true.

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bloat
See also this recent story. Beavers can have a similar amplified effect on
their environment.

[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-
environment-31019595](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31019595)

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mmphosis
And, the pine marten.

[http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/30/how-to-
er...](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/30/how-to-eradicate-
grey-squirrels-without-firing-a-shot-pine-martens)

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owly
Thanks for sharing!

