Return of the Alphas

7/12/24

If you’ve ever been to Yellowstone National Park, or even just seen pictures or movies of it, you know it's a vibrant, diverse ecosystem, bursting with life. But this wasn’t always the case. Yellowstone’s history has had its fair share of highs and lows, much of it caused by human actions, which are both fascinating and important to learn about.

A long time ago, wolves were a common sight in Yellowstone. They played a big role in keeping the ecosystem balanced by hunting animals like elk and deer. But in the early 1900s, people thought wolves were dangerous and bad for livestock, so they were hunted to near extinction and removed from the park. By 1926, there were no wolves left in Yellowstone, which caused big changes to the landscape. Without wolves keeping the population of large grazers like elk in check, the plants of Yellowstone were overwhelmed and over consumed, devastating the entire ecosystem and affecting other animals.

Fast forward to 1995, when scientists realized how important wolves were for the park's health. They decided to bring them back, and 31 wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone from Canada. No one knew for certain whether the experiment would work, but luckily, it was a huge success! The wolves helped control the elk population, which allowed plants and trees to recover. This, in turn, brought back many other animals, like beavers and birds. The whole ecosystem started to thrive again, all thanks to the return of the wolves.

While there are no wolves out where I live, there’s a similar success story nearby. Bison used to roam the prairies of Illinois, but colonization and the spread of settlers in America led to excessive bison hunting. Because no laws were in place, bison were almost hunted to extinction and vanished in many of the prairies where they used to roam. One of these places was Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois. But in 2014, bison were reintroduced to these grasslands. 

I had the opportunity to visit Nachusa Grasslands as a part of my internship at The Nature Conservancy. The grasslands are much smaller than the areas where bison used to graze, a long time ago. This means that the herd is limited to only about 120 bison. Nevertheless, the change has been drastic. The reintroduction of these native beasts helped a wide variety of plants thrive because of different impacts bison have on their environment. For example, when they walk, their hooves twist and they stir the ground, helping plant the seeds. Bison, like the Yellowstone wolves, have caused change, and we need to make sure to protect and reintroduce native species to restore earth to what it once was.

These stories are super important because they shows how every plant, animal, or even fungi has a role to play in nature. When we take away one part, it can cause big problems. But bringing the missing link back can heal the environment. It's a great lesson on why we should care about all organisms and do our best to protect them and the earth.

If this blog sounds interesting to you, I would encourage you to read the following books:

1. The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumphs of Yellowstone’s Underdog

2. Wolf Nation: The Life, Death, and Return of Wild American Wolves