Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303145300.htm
Are Wolves the Pronghorns Best friends?
There is a debate based upon the extermination of the gray wolf in their habitats and ecosystems. A new study reveals that the removal of the wolves from their habitats can affect another species in an extremely negative way. This species is known as the pronghorns. They are a uniquely North American animal that resembles the African antelope. The study, which was the featured article in the journal that goes by the name of Ecology, says that the more wolves that are exterminated, the more the coyotes will flourish. The coyotes are predators to the pronghorn fawns, so they will eat them. Therefore the pronghorn population will be severely depleted, causing a great change in the ecosystem. So the wolves can really help save the ecosystem if the are not removed from the park.
This relates to food webs, and food chains, which play major roles in an ecosystem. When wolves were reintroduced to the food web of the Yellowstone National Park, in Montana, nature seemed to be at peace. When they were taken out of the park in the early 1930's, the elk population suffered greatly due to lack of food and starvation. In other words, there were too many elk, and too less food. This study also proves that when one animal is removed from its ecosystem, then all of the other animals that share the system will be affected. Some changes will be positive, and others negative. All of the animals in a food web are interconnected through intricate links and the balance between these links is is very delicate. Man should not change this balance, for if we do, then there will be too many problems for all of us to handle.
