I must admit that there is a certain degree of ignorance in me when it comes to issues of geography, ecology included. Therefore, when I heard rumors about that the introduction of wolves transformed Yellowstone, it was particularly challenging to understand how the presence of a particular species of animals could impact a considerable change in the ecological outlook of an area. But this ignorance is now consigned to the past after watching the short film, "How Wolves Change Rivers.” Ideally, every second of the clip makes it possible, even for a novice like me, to fully comprehend how the re-introduction of the wolves caused a turnaround in the then degenerated landscape. The sliding images, video recordings of scenes at Yellowstone, the narration, and the subtitles are both perfectly coordinated to drive in the message both visually and through audio. There cannot be a better way to simplify a complex idea for a broader audience.
It is not the presentation alone that makes the short film worthwhile- rather, the sensitivity of the message that has been put across also comes into play. To begin with, I found the title “How Wolves Changed Rivers” to be very enticing. I got curious about how a wolf- a predator at best and a wild, stubborn member of the dog family- can actually add value to an environment. Further, the value of the wolves are tied to the changes in a river; a natural geographical feature which, by every conceivable estimation, is influenced only by natural climatic factors and a few human activities. To this end, there was a profound sense of curiosity that only the video could satisfy.
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Next, I found the details of the video to be sensible and convincing. Wolves benefited the Yellowstone environment by their top-down regulation of the species which dwelled in the area. The video elaborates that wolves are peak hunters, meaning that they maintain the population of the primary consumers in controlled levels ( Cosier, 2010) . It becomes readily evident that without the wolves, the population of the primary consumers rises exponentially, leading to a rapid decrease in vegetation. This phenomenon explains the scenario at Yellowstone, whereby the deer and the elk overpopulated the area and severely stripped the region of its vegetation cover in less than five decades. The absence of vegetation cover and the drying of trees meant that there were no plant roots to hold the soils compact. Periods of soil erosion caused the rivers to meander more, and the waters became shallow because the eroded sediments accumulated in the river beds. The shallow waters became warmer because the river channel was more exposed. There was little left for other animals to enjoy in the waters, and the waters of Yellowstone slowly lost value ( Sustainable Human, 2014) . However, a few years after the re-introduction of the wolves, the vegetation regenerated and the ecosystem was balanced. The soils became compacted, the erosion was reduced, and the meandering was also reduced. The water channels become deeper and habitable; the river's water became cooler and supported more living organisms ( Sustainable Human, 2014) . All these in response to the balance created by the wolves. The quality of life in the river traversing the entire cornerstone area was therefore perfectly restored.
The understanding of such a wonderful transformation left me wondering why the wolves were eradicated from Yellowstone in the first place. The predators must have been hunted out for the dangers they posed to livestock in the area. However, considering that there are alternative ways in which livestock can be protected from predation, the contents of this clip should be taken as a warning against forcing the wolves out of the area again.
References
Cosier, S. (2010, April 13). Reintroducing wolves into national parks could restore ecosystems . Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/news/reintroducing-wolves-national-parks-could-restore-ecosystems
Sustainable Human. (2014). How Wolves Change Rivers [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q
