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Yellowstone Park was founded in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho by being signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.
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The last of the Gray wolves was killed during this year. They would not bee seen for the next 70 years.
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The increase of elk population led to many unforeseeable issues in the park. Mainly, a reduction in plant life and an increase in debris.
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15 Wolves were introduced to Yellowstone National Park after over 70 years.
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Within 1 year of the Wolves being introduced, The elk behavior had changed, they no longer spent all day in open fields. They were more reclusive because they had to be wary of wolves.
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More trees means more berries and fruit for bears to eat. This food source became more plentiful once the trees were able to flourish. The bears also compete directly with wolves so the bears are what will keep the wolf population balanced.
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The wolves not only killed large consumers like deer, but also smaller predators like Coyotes.
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Within 6 years, the park researchers had measured and found that the sizes of the trees had increased up to 4 times their size after the introduction of wolves.
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The increase in tree size had increased the environmental capacity of birds. There were more species in larger numbers
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An increase in the number of trees also lead to an increase in the number of beavers. Beavers are a key species in river ecosystems.
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More rabbits and other small field animals could be found because their primary predator, the coyote, was in decline. In the end this would balance out. More small animals means more coyotes, but the wolves will keep the balance.
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More small mammals lead to an increase in all of their predators. This includes birds of prey which are the primary predator of the skies.
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With an increase in all of the animals which use foliage, branches, twigs, and dried grass, as well as a decrease in destructive animals like elk, there was less debris on the land. This made it so more trees could easily grow and the root system of the trees became stronger.
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Bald Eagles could be found easily within the park after the wolves came because the variety of food which they eat finally became available in large quantities.
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As trees increase the stability of the land, the rate of erosion decreases. Water pools in larger sources which forms strong rivers. since water is more concentrated, there is less evaporation thus more water is contained in the environment. As we have learned, more water means more life.
