 ungrazed by elk. In 2001, only one beaver dam was known within Yellowstone. By 2011, that number jumped to nine dams.
The additional plant life helped to reduce erosion and, with the beaver dams, started altering the course of rivers and other waterways. This created new pond and marsh habitats for moose, otters, mink, wading birds, waterfowl, fish, amphibians and more.
The carcasses left behind by wolf kills created more scavenging opportunities, and a population boom, for ravens, wolverines, bald eagles, golden eagles, grizzly bears, black bears, jays, magpies, martens and coyotes. More plant life and better habitat drew more rabbits, mice and other critters that, in turn, helped increase hawk, fox and badger numbers.
This top-down effect of re-introducing an “apex” predator is called trophic cascade.
All of this information came to me thanks to a co-worker who shared a link to a recently posted four-minute YouTube video that explained this whole phenomenon very well. It was an inspiring video, and you can view it, if you haven’t already, above.
Why does this all fascinate me so much? Because of two very important reasons.
First, the situation does a great job of illustrating just how interconnected our ecosystems really can be. One simple change nearly two decades ago has drastically altered the natural enviroment for so many species. For me, the video was a clear reminder of how important our roles are as stewards of our natural resources.
Secondly, the Yellowstone scenario shows the importance of hunting. Like wolves, we are apex predators. We have a place in the natural flow of things, and this video does a good job of explaining that.
In an age where antihunters are more vocal than ever, the rest of us need ways to illustrate the benefits of hunting as a critical wildlife management tool — not just some outdated, primitive sport for bloodthirsty rednecks as mainstream society suggests.
Hunting is more than putting food on the family’s dinner table. It affects more than the people who suit up in fluorescent orange every fall during our local rite of outdoors passage.
Let’s take it seriously — from the first-time youth fresh out of Hunter-Trapper Education classes to the wily veteran outdoorsman. And let’s help educate the public on how we are conservationists first and foremost.