Wyoming Wolves Help The Aspen Come Back

According to a story by Wyoming Public Media's By COOPER MCKIM, The Aspen trees are making a comeback and the wolves are helping.

CREDIT JIM PEACO / YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

According to a study is from Oregon State University, for much of the last century, elk were eating young aspen shoots, right down to the roots, before they ever had a chance to get started.

Introduce predictors, like wolves, cutting down on the elk population and the trees have had a chance to take root and grow.

This has even changed the course of rivers as the trees hold the shorelines against the currents.

“Now, we have most of the elk are wintering outside the park, this winter was about three-quarters of the herd was outside the park in the annual count and before, up until the time when wolves came in actually, three-quarters of the herd was actually inside the park,” Painter said.

As the trees and other plant life flourish it also provides a home for birds and bugs.