Scientists Are Proposing To Place More Wolves and Beavers That Would Re-establish Ecological Balance

On western federal lands, experts from Oregon State University are recommending management measures that, in their opinion, will increase the number of wolves and beavers and restore biological processes.

William Ripple, co-lead author of the study "Rewilding the American West," and 19 other authors recommend establishing a network based on prospective habitat for the gray wolf, an apex predator capable of causing strong, broad ecological effects, on sections of federal lands in 11 states.

More wolves and beavers in the western US

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The authors found regions of federally controlled property in those states that are continuous and are at least 5,000 square kilometers large and have ideal wolf habitat, as per ScienceDaily.

The planned Western Rewilding Network includes the following states: Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

It would span an area of about 500,000 square kilometers.

It's an ambitious plan, but according to Ripple, a distinguished professor of ecology in the OSU College of Forestry, the American West is currently experiencing an unprecedented period of converging crises, including extended drought and water scarcity, extreme heat waves, massive fires, and the loss of biodiversity.

Gray wolves were driven to almost extinction in the West, but beginning in the 1990s, the Endangered Species Act made it feasible to restore them to some areas of the northern Rocky Mountains and the Southwest.

However, just 14% of the gray wolf's historical range is now present in those 11 states, according to co-author and postdoctoral fellow Christopher Wolf from the College of Forestry.

There may only be 3,500 wolves left in the entire West today, down from their former numbers of in the tens of thousands.

The authors claimed that because beaver populations in many streams have completely disappeared after a 90% drop during settler colonialism, environmental services are not being given.

Similarly, the authors claimed that wolf restoration provides important ecological advantages by aiding in the natural management of native ungulates like elk.

According to them, wolves help vegetation species like aspen, which supports a variety of plant and animal populations and is in decline in the West, to recover.

In the study, 92 vulnerable and endangered plant and animal species are listed, along with an analysis of the hazards presented by human activities to each species.

At least 10% of these species' ranges are located within the planned Western Rewilding Network.

The authors came to the conclusion that livestock grazing was the most frequent hazard.

According to the authors, livestock grazing can degrade streams and wetland habitats, alter fire patterns, and hinder the ability of woody species, particularly willow, to rebound.

Federal grazing permits contribute to around 2% of the nation's beef supply, the article adds.

Also Read: New System Can Identify Individual Wolf Howls with 100 Percent Accuracy

Ecological balance

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According to a number of online dictionaries, the ecological balance is "a state of dynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms in which genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable, subject to gradual changes through natural succession," as well as "a stable balance in the numbers of each species in an ecosystem."

The fundamental consideration is the preservation of an ecosystem's natural equilibrium.

Due to the introduction of new species, the rapid extinction of certain species, natural disasters, or man-made causes, this equilibrium may be upset, as per WWF.

There are real-life examples all around the world that may be used to learn how human population growth and increased development activities influence the ecosystem.

One such instance of how the ecology is being impacted by rising population and development activities is Armenia.

Human influences on the environment have grown over the past 1,000 years, mostly as a result of increased pasture usage and deforestation.

Due to extraordinary population development and urbanization after 1920, these issues have gotten worse in recent years, having a negative influence on not just specific species but also entire ecosystems.

By reading the essay on this website, you will deliberately become aware of the potential damage that unrestrained urbanization and industrial expansion might do to your area.