sodameth:

Wolves save trees

After the extinction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park, elk population soared. Freed from their primary predator, more than 15,000 elk roamed the park, feeding mostly on tree saplings. Tree populations, mostly cottonwoods, Aspen, and willows began to decline as future generations were destroyed.

Now, that wolves are back in Yellowstone, trees are beginning to recover. And trees are not the only ones benefitting from the wolves’ return, songbirds that nest on these trees are also repopulating. Beavers also depend on willows and in turn fish depend on the beaver dams for better aquatic habitats.

The ripple effect is seen in every ecosystem where a large predator is removed. Just because a species seems like the bad guy, it doesn’t mean they are. In fact, they are usually the exact opposite.