Afterward, the ecosystem began to heal.
Once again, wolves preyed on elk. With
fewer elk to graze, aspen and willow trees
began to grow again. Then birds had
more nesting areas. Beavers had more
to eat and could build dams. The coyote
population also fell to a healthy level.
WOLF AND ELK POPULATIONS
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
POPULATION
95 9
*
97
*
98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
YEAR
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
POPULATION
95 9
*
97
*
98
*
99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
YEAR
Winter elk population
on Yellowstone’s Northern Range
Gray wolf population
in the Greater Yellowstone Area
*Data not available
15
