How Wolves Are Bringing Back Yellowstone's Trees

How Wolves Are Bringing Back Yellowstone's TreesTop of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 912, Segment 4

Oct 2, 2018 • 21m

Guest: Douglas Smith, PhD, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Yellowstone National Park, Author, “The Wolves of Yellowstone, Decade of the Wolf, and Wolves on the Hunt” A generation ago, aspen trees in parts of Yellowstone National Park were in serious trouble. Young trees were having trouble taking root to replace older trees as they died. But today, the aspen are making a comeback. It’s not returning because people are planting trees or preventing wildfire. Strangely, the aspen resurgence is due to the return of wolves to Yellowstone over the last 25 years. It’s a long ecological chain, which includes everything from elk to beavers.

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