Northwest ecosystems changed dramatically when wolves were nearly exterminated, study finds
Ecosystems in the Northwest were heavily shaped by wolves before they were nearly wiped out of the region, a new study finds.
By the 1930s, gray wolves were nearly gone in Oregon and the rest of the West, leading to the multiplication of animals the wolves hunted and creating an imbalance in the environment, researchers at Oregon State University found.
But the full impact of their disappearance isn’t fully understood because ecological research from the last century largely left out the role of wolves on the landscape. Most of the research wasn’t done until the wolves were nearly gone.
This means our understanding of natural ecosystems in the Northwest is flawed, according to William Ripple, an Oregon State ecologist and the lead author of the study. He said that hampers habitat restoration projects in the Northwest and moves, for example, to reintroduce more gray wolves in the West.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/07/05/northwest-ecosystems-changed-dramatically-when-wolves-were-nearly-exterminated-study-finds/