Saint Leo University Re Introduction of Wolves Discussion

respond to these two classmates use your opinions and add more information on the topic it is not a grade of their post but a discussion

post 1

Hunter Tuttle posted Sep 10, 2020 6:54 PM

When it comes to talking about keystone species the first thing that came to mind was when gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. For the longest time gray wolves were extinct in that region of the United States of America, however, in 1995 all of that changed when scientist learned just how much wolves and many other animals help the ecosystem, they consider home. When there are no wolves in an area a certain group of wildlife, the grazers, flourish because they are not being hunted by wolves. The more grazers there are in an ecosystem then the overall health of the ecosystem goes down because there is not as much plant life as there could be. With less plants in the ecosystem, all the wildlife starts to move on or die which in time will destroy the ecosystem until it can regrow. When the wolves were reintroduced, the ecosystem became stable because wolves returned the population of the grazers to a manageable zone so that they will not destroy an ecosystem by eating the plants. Plants help other wildlife within the ecosystems boundaries so that they ecosystem can continue to live. Everything plays a valuable part in keeping an ecosystem alive just like humans do in theirs. The management of an ecosystem is done by all who inhabit it.

post 2

Thelma Sam posted Sep 17, 2020 7:43 PM

The removal of wolves from the ecosystem will increase the unavailability of predator pressure to the elks and moose. Wolves normally prey on them. The elks and moose will increase in number and wander freely in lower areas, rivers, and other parts of the ecosystem. The low hanging vegetation and saplings along the riverbanks will decrease following the infestation of the moose and elks. The continual foraging by elks and moose will lead to the destruction of the lushness of Willows and Aspens, as well as a drop in the densities of trees along waterways (Sustainable Human, 2014). A reduction of the density of trees per habitat unit will imply the unavailability of a source of food for the beavers leading to their movement in an attempt to find better habitats.

Low beaver population implies the absence of dam, hence, the absence of pools and slow moving water. This will reduce the numbers of the muskrats, fish, waterfowls, and aquatic insect population that serve as major sources of food for other animals and birds. The scarcity of trees will also lead to the disappearance of birds in their attempt to find other nesting and food locations. It will also lead to a fall in the overall health of the rivers. The dwindling of the density of trees because of foraging by elks and moose will affect the stability of riverbanks due to the absence of roots. The absence of tall trees along riverbanks affects the inhabitation of many fish by affecting their habitat of cool waters. The presence of wolf kills led to a reduction in the numbers of other animals.

The re-introduction of the wolves leads to a decrease in the number of grazers, such as elk and bison. This keeps their population in balance with the region at the river. Fewer grazers lead to an improvement in the river land health, hence vegetation along the river increases. Fewer grazers promotes river land wildlife, hence beavers increase. This results into an increase in scavengers. Wolves are keystone species because their removal from the ecosystem led to a dramatic change in the composition of other species. Keystone species influence a majority of the species in the ecosystem.