Respected scientists identify that the historic value of predators has largely been ignored
The News
An article released today by https://insideclimatenews.org identifies a study of long term trends in wildlife ecology that seem to obviate the historical contributions of large carnivores in research of other species. This could not be further from the truth.
The Study
A shifting ecological baseline after wolf extirpation
In this peer reviewed, published analysis led by Drs. Ripple, Wolf, and Beschta scientists track how the presence of wolves and other large carnivores has not been viewed from the perspective of their historical ranges and ecological impacts.
This is a fascinating study of years of prior scientific papers and provides insight into tangible holes in that research. By excluding the effects of and changes to the environment that keystone species make, it has led to studies of other species as segregated instead of part of the overarching ecology of an ecosystem.
“A shifting ecological baseline after wolf extirpation Studying an altered ecosystem without recognizing how or why the system has changed over time because of the absence of a large predator could have serious implications for wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration, like diagnosing a sick patient without a baseline health exam.”
Seeing the results
A view of riparian vegetation along a portion of Yellowstone’s Blacktail Deer Creek in May 1991. Suppressed heights of willows and alders along the valley illustrate the effects of decades of intensive elk herbivory that occurred following the loss of wolves. Stream bank erosion is also occurring along the outside of each meander bend. Credit: D. Garfield.
A repeat of the 1991 photo is taken in September 2023. Extensive recovery of riparian willows and alders have occurred following the return of wolves—stabilizing stream banks, shading the stream with canopy cover, and providing improved habitats for terrestrial and aquatic biota. Credit: R. Beschta
Photos courtesy of Thomas D Mangelsen unless otherwise credited.