What role do wolves play in the ecosystem?
Wolves, as top predators, keep prey populations strong, healthy and in balance with what the ecosystem can sustain by feeding primarily on young, infirm and older animals. When wolves were reestablished to the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem, for example, scientists noticed that stands of aspen, willow and cottonwoods trees were beginning to regenerate. They determined that without wolves, the large elk population grazed on the young seedlings, decimating stands of these important trees. Now that the elk population is smaller and the elk are more cautious in their behavior due to wolves, these thickets are reviving, providing nesting areas for song birds and homes for other small creatures once again. Beavers are also returning, which has improved water quality. These changes show that wolves play a vital role in maintaining natural ecosystems. Wolves are considered a keystone species because of their great influence on the environment.
