Sheep, that’s been kept domestically for thousands of years, is a valuable livestock for human. People have dedicated a lot to protect these animals. However, in the 1800s, settlers came across with an issue as a result of westward expansion: native predators who prey on their livestock. This conflict eventually led to the elimination of wolves.
From late 1800s to early 1900s, predators, involving wolves, are killed in Yellowstone, resulting in a total disaster. In the 70 years of the wolves’ absence, the Yellowstone’s ecosystem fell out of balance. Smaller predators’ and elks’ population exploded, causing small creatures, such as songbird and beavers, unable to feed themselves. Then, had people realized the important role wolves played in the ecosystem and the necessity of restoration. 1975, the long process to restore wolves in Yellowstone began. The reintroduction began in 1995. However, many factors, like human harvest, prey densities and abundance of other predators, impact its effect. Although people had worried about the reintroduction may harm current elk and deer population, it’s been proved now that reintroduced wolves helped stabilize the ecosystem.
This is a profound lesson about the heavy price human may pay for attempting to eliminate certain species from the ecosystem. Similar voices have never disappeared. The thought of eliminating mosquitoes is brought up from time to time. Nowadays, predicting species loss in complex ecosystem is still a great challenge. Even though some species have always been headaches, people should also be prudent when they attempt to dramatically reducing a species’ population, as the consequences could be too painful to bear.
In this simulator, I wish players could explore different combinations of wolves and sheep population and have a deeper understanding of the consequence of the absence of predators.
[1] Farquhar, Brodie. “Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in Yellowstone.” Yellowstone National Park, 1 July 2021, www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wildlife/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem/.
[2] Peterson, Christine. “ 25 Years after Returning to Yellowstone, Wolves Have Helped Stabilize the Ecosystem.” Animals, 3 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/yellowstone-wolves-reintroduction-helped-stabilize-ecosystem.
[3] “A Rewilding Triumph: Wolves Help to Reverse Yellowstone Degradation.” The Guardian, 25 Jan. 2020, www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/25/yellowstone-wolf-project-25th-anniversary#:~:text=In%20the%2070%20years%20of,and%20riverbanks%20started%20to%20erode.
[4] White, Lydia, et al. “Individual Species Provide Multifaceted Contributions to the Stability of Ecosystems.” Nature Ecology & Evolution, vol. 4, no. 12, 2020, pp. 1594 – 1601, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01315-w.
[5] “Wolf Restoration.” National Parks Service, www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolf-restoration.htm#:~:text=At%20the%20time%2C%20the%20wolves,eliminated%20from%20the%2048%20states.