Wolves of Yellowstone

When Yellowstone National Park was created in the late 1800s, wolves were on the decline. The last wolves in Yellowstone were killed in 1926, but in the 1800s, there were between 100-160 wolves in the park. In 1995, gray wolves were reintroduced to the park.

Which graph (drawn in red) below shows a prediction of how the population would change if there was less water available in the ecosystem?

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• There would be no change to carrying capacity.

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How long were the wolves absent from Yellowstone National Park?

• 1 year

• 5 years

• 10 years

• 70 years

When were the wolves reintroduced?

• 1989

• 1886

• 2003

• 1995

Explain how the behavior of the elk changed in response to the wolves.

• They did not change their behavior and therefore most elk died.

• The elk stayed away from the areas the wolves were. As a result, the trees were able to grow again.

• All the elk left the park and did not return.

• The wolves were not able to capture the elk.

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What is one way the rivers changed because of the wolves?

• forest stabilized as there was less erosion

• the rivers became bigger as more water flowed

• less water flowed as the wolves caused a change in the climate

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Choose the animals that benefited from the return of the wolves?

• cows living the farms around the park

• lions and tigers living in the park

• elephants that were living in the park

• fish, badgers and ravens living in the park

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What did John Muir mean when he said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe"?

• Nothing in an ecosystem is connected to anything else. Each organism survives on its own.

• Everything in a healthy ecosystem is connected, directly or indirectly, as evidenced by the wolves.

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What was the primary reason for reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park?

• To increase the wolf population for hunting purposes

• To restore the natural balance of the ecosystem

• To attract more tourists to the park

• To study the behavior of wolves in a controlled environment

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Which of the following is a direct ecological impact observed after the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone?

• Increase in the number of elk

• Decrease in the number of beavers

• Regrowth of willow and aspen trees

• Decline in the population of grizzly bears

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How did the reintroduction of wolves affect the population of coyotes in Yellowstone?

• The coyote population increased significantly

• The coyote population remained stable

• The coyote population decreased due to competition

• The coyote population was unaffected

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