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A rewilding triumph: wolves help to reverse Yellowstone degradation
by applewood

    The need for restoration was glaring. In the 70 years of the wolves’ absence, the entire Yellowstone ecosystem had fallen out of balance. Coyotes ran rampant, and the elk population exploded, overgrazing willows and aspens. Without those trees, songbirds began to decline, beavers could no longer build their dams and riverbanks started to erode. Without beaver dams and the shade from trees and other plants, water temperatures were too high for cold-water fish.

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    Scientists always knew that as the top predator, wolves were the missing piece in this ecosystem. But they were astonished at how quickly their return stimulated a transformation. The elk and deer populations started responding immediately. Within about 10 years, willows rebounded. In 20, the aspen began flourishing. Riverbanks stabilized. Songbirds returned as did beavers, eagles, foxes and badgers. “And those are just the things we have the time and funding to study,” said Smith. “There are probably myriad other effects just waiting to be discovered.”

    While the restoration of wolves in Yellowstone has cost about $30m, wolf ecotourism brings in $35m annually, in an economic boom for the surrounding communities. Yellowstone is unique in the world as the best place to observe wild wolves, which are generally shy, reclusive and favor remote areas. This is as true for scientists as it is tourists, and as a result, wolf research in the park is considered far more advanced than anywhere else.