Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

This is an incredible story of how the wolves changed the landscape when they were re-introduced into Yellowstone Park

http://www.youtube.com/embed/ysa5OBhXz-Q?feature=player_embedded

Tommg

That report of the wolves is not accurate at all, the wolves did not do much of anything reported in this very beautiful but misleading video. I live in Montana near the park and much of what the video indicated is just wrong! Remember Yellowstone had huge fires years ago and the area is just now recovering. Shame on the environmentalists.

Dan L Loc: Wisconsin

Great video footage, although did not see anything about wolves changing the landscape. Thanks for Sharing!!!

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

I enjoyed the video - pity it is basically lies - what is the point of making claims that cannot be backed up by he facts - sounds like politicians at work lol!!

The images of the wolves were magnificent though.

DrWilk Loc: .

In what way is the video wrong? What specifically did it say that is not true? I'm not arguing, I'd like to hear specifics that were lies. This type of activity has been noted in numerous places where wolves have been introduced and/or re-introduced so I'd like to know what is different in Yellowstone.

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

Ask Tommg - he advised it was not accurate I took the video on face value - it sounded convincing!

MaryAnn Loc: Florida/Massachusetts

Thanks for sharing.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

There are actually many examples of such relationships that one would not have thought existed. In the Northwest, in rivers where salmon have been successfully reintroduced, there are changes that were totally unexpected - which turn out to be because bears eat the salmon and leave nitrogen-rich droppings along the shoreline of the river. The plant life changes, which changes the nature of the animal life supported along the river. Likewise, in California communities that have spread out into the foothills and where the coyote population has been decimated, the bird populations have dropped dramatically - the coyotes having been responsible for keeping down the population of animals that eat birds and bird's eggs, such as raccoons, possums, snakes, and feral cats. Messing with nature can have far-reaching repercussions.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I would probably be willing to believe Yellowstone biologists. For example, you could read about it here, on the Yellowstone National Park website:

http://www.yellowstonepark.com/2011/06/yellowstone-national-park-wolf-reintroduction-is-changing-the-face-of-the-greater-yellowstone-ecosystem/

DrWilk Loc: .

As I suspected, there is a lot more truth to the video than there are lies. I don't understand why some readers stated emphatically that it was all a lie when even the park service agrees with the overall message. Thanks for posting your link.

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

Could it be that Tommg is a cattle or sheep rancher in Montana and is anti-wolf because he believes that the wolfs will decimate his herd? Just wondering. He does say that he lives near the park.

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

:thumbup: ?

Sac-Jack Loc: Sacramento, Ca

Loved the story and thanks for sharing it.

rhadams824 Loc: Arkansas

The park service would agree with this since they promote wolves in the park.
As the vegetation recovers from the fire it would grow with or without the wolf. However overgrazing by herbivores without some does lead to bad results. Some type of harvesting is required to keep their population at levels consistent with the available forage. Reduced grazing would cut down on stream pollution.
But to say all the noted effects were a result of the wolf being reintroduced is stretching the total truth just to justify their presence.
Read up on what happened when hunting was banned on the Kaibad plateau in Arizona and predators were eliminated.
A balanced approach is needed in reporting such phenomenon but when did the truth matter to people in power and those wanting power over others.

Tommg

I expected a lot of negative feedback on my post which is understandable. Offered as information I am not a cattle/sheep rancher so my remarks do not stem from there. I do agree that wolfs have had limited effects on the ecosystem, not nearly as much as the video would have you believe. There is a lot going on in park everyday so it's impossible to accurate study of "wolves" without taking other activities in the ecosystem (plants, bears, elk, deer, trees & etc. ... this video claims the wolf as almost the sole reason for their claimed improvements in the animals, trees, bushes & rivers ... hard pill to swallow!
Yellowstone park consists of about 2,221,800 acres, in 2010 there were 97 wolves in the park that amounts to about 1 Wolfe for every 22,905 acres ... a lot of changes attributed to a relatively small population ... stretches the imagination. To be fair wolf populations vary quite a bit due to pack rivalries, disease, extreme weather conditions & etc. thus some years saw greater wolf populations.
In 1988 fires burned 793,880 acres in the park a small amount of earth was scorched due to the high heat which tom some extent impeded re-growth in some areas, since 1988 an additional 85,000 acres have burned ... grass & trees burned causing soil erosion for some time, since then grass trees & forests have begun the regrowth process helping to stabilize erosion and stabilize streams, bush & tree regrowth & animals to return to the area ... wolves did not do all this it was nature doing what nature does best - rebuilding after a fire.
Yellowstone park has a very short growing season with winter temperatures anywhere from 20 degrees to minus 66 degrees, snowfalls anywhere from 150" & up in the higher areas ... hard to imagine mature trees growing 5 times their height in this short growing season ... with the exception of the seedlings or plants which were re-growing after a series of fires - nature's magic and not necessarily a wolf thing. But again that ecosystem includes a great wealth of plants and animals all of which have an effect on the ecosystem, perhaps just perhaps the wolf plays some small part in that system.