Lecture 19: Wolves in Yellowstone

Question 1

What was Mark Boyce’s model called

Answer 1

WOLF5

Question 2

How many subsequent years were wolves release following 1995

Answer 2

14 released in 1995
17 released in 1996
Recommended every year, but wolves were thriving/breeding so didn’t release more

Question 3

What was the peak number of wolve? Equilibrium?

Answer 3

Peak around 120, eq at 100

Question 4

What did GPS radiotelemetry tell us

Answer 4

Movements and habitat use of elk
Elk avoided wolf territories. Dead elk found between territories

Question 5

How was elk distribution determined before and after the 2000s

Answer 5

Before, elk avoided wolf pack boundaries
After, wolves were everywhere, so topography and vegetation determined distribution

Question 6

Two mechanisms of trophic cascade between elk, wolves and vegetation

Answer 6

Density mediated: wolves decrease elk numbers

Trait mediated: fear of wolves affects distribution or foraging by elk

Question 7

Difference in elk killed by hunters vs wolves

Answer 7

Wolves kill mostly old elk (13-20)

Hunters killed mostly young (1-9) with higher reproductive value (large impact on pop)