Wolf Reintroduction Debate

What is wolf reintroduction?

Wolf reintroduction involves the reintroduction of a portion of wolves in areas where native wolves populations have become absent.

Wolf reintroduction was presented to Congress. The purpose of reintroduction of natural predators would help to stabilize the region

The purpose of this paper is to explore Wolf reintroduction and the various benefits that occurs when reintroduction is done correctly. In order to reintroduce a species to their original if not better range it is imperative you have both, a sound ecological basis but the public acceptance of the human population in the surrounding area. This paper will demonstrate the importance of reintroduction and aid with the public acceptance of the topic.

Real world example: Yellowstone National Park

After years of wolf culling efforts began in 1995
to reintroduce wolfs to the ecosystem.

Since the reintroduction of the wolves Elk populations have decreased while vegetation has been giving the opportunity to recuperate previous population numbers.

Human activities do not replace the effects wolves would have indirectly with their surrounding environment.

Ex.After making a kill and
consuming what it needs
it'll leave scraps which
scavengers rely on.

Yellowstone has demonstrated that elk select different habitats based on the presence of wolves. Increased wolf presence in certain areas has subsequently led to an absence of elk, which allows for increased plant growth due to less browsing of the elk and demonstrates the effects of a trophic cascade (Mao et al., 2005), (Ripple & Beschta, 2011).

In this case Elk

Wolves are a population control for elk, which can overgraze their habitat and cause ecological damage when left unchecked.

At times human activity poses a larger threat to elk populations( NPS 2007)

Hunting

Habitat reduction

daily human presence

most species benefit indirectly from wolves returning because the ecosystem evolved with them present and without them. Currently many species population ratios are destabilized.

Multiple woody species (aspen, cottonwood, and willows) have begun recruiting since wolf reintroduction (Ripple & Beschta, 2011).

Species of plant can be found with increased plant growth due to increased wolf presence (Mao et al., 2005).

To conclude, the reintroduction of wolves has been beneficial for stabilizing other species populations within their ecosystem. We can see this with popular surveys such as with Yellowstone, the reintroduction of wolfs aided in rebalancing the populations of elk. Ultimately this lead to the passive restoration of Yellowstone's vegetation as well its ecosystems and habitats.

Previous human attempts to substitute the natural ecosystem services that the wolves provided were insufficient at providing the essential interaction (directly and indirectly) with the surrounding environment.

Interactions include...

Prey

Leaving scraps

Marking territory

Lastly, the presence of wolves has a trophic cascade effect on vegetation consumed by wolf prey species. These arguments demonstrate that there is sound ecological evidence which supports the reintroduction of wolves to their historic habitat areas.

Beschta, R. L., & Ripple, W. J. (2016). Riparian vegetation recovery in Yellowstone: The first two decades after wolf reintroduction. Biological Conservation, 198, 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BIOCON.2016.03.031

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Mao, J. S., Boyce, S., Singer, F. J., Vales, D. J., Vore, J. M., & Merrill, E. H. (2005). HABITAT SELECTION BY ELK BEFORE AND AFTER WOLF REINTRODUCTION IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, 69(4), 1691–1707. https://doi.org/10.2193/0022-541X(2005)69[1691:HSBEBA]2.0.CO;2

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Ripple, W. J., & Beschta, R. L. (2011). Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.11.005

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Wolf Reintroduction: Ecological Management and the Substitution Problem on JSTOR. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/43441657?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents