The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

 Covers 7300km²  of wilderness in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in western USA.

It includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, parts of seven surrounding national forests and three wildlife refuges.

Home to grizzly bears, cougars, coyotes, elk, moose and bison.

Human Impact

• One hundred years ago, the grey (gray) wolf was the dominant large carnivore.
• However, due to a policy of predator eradication, a relentless persecution of the wolf occured (by farmers and hunters).
• By 1944, wolves had disappeared from Yellowstone.
• Wolves were a 'keystone' species, like many other top predators, and play a crucial role in maintaining the stability of food webs and food chains.
• Wolves have a 'top-down' influence on the ecosystem, directly controlling the numbers of large herbivores and the intensity of grazing and browsing. In turn, this…