The Big Impact Small Creatures Can Make

any have heard the famous story of the Yellowstone wolves. Hunted nearly to extinction in the early 20th century, the wolves were no longer numerous enough to keep populations of deer and elk in check. The deer and elk multiplied, sending major ripples through the park’s ecosystems. They overgrazed the land and trees, including iconic willow and aspen. Without leafy branches in which to build their nests, the songbirds left. The beavers disappeared, too, because they no longer had in 1995, scientists watched in awe how all those changes rolled back over a few years, rebalancing the ecosystem.