Wolves

Legend has it that the last British wild wolf was shot dead in the Scottish highlands by a hunter named MacQueen in 1743.

For centuries since, no-one walking in the woods anywhere in the British Isles has had to worry about meeting the same fate as Little Red Riding Hood.

Today, however, there are groups of conservationists who regard wolves as part of Britain’s natural heritage and want to return them to the wild.

While the Wolf Trust is campaigning to win Government approval for an organised reintroduction programme in Scotland, more pro-active nature lovers are reportedly planning to release wolves into the wild illegally.

They might be encouraged by new report from the US, where the return of wolves to America’s most famous national park is said to have had a very positive effect on the environment.

Wolves were eradicated from Yellowstone National Park in the 1920s, but reintroduced in 1995.

After the disappearance of the last wolf packs, forestry experts noticed that aspen and cottonwood trees went into long term decline. In some areas, their numbers were reduced to the point of virtual extinction.

Now, for the first time in 50 years, young aspen trees are growing again in the northern part of the park.

The aspen is a golden coloured deciduous hardwood tree which was once a common sight in the West but has become increasingly scarce.

According to scientists, its recovery in Yellowstone is largely thanks to the return of the wolf and the "ecology of fear".

Elk which for decades had been able to browse freely on the young aspen tree shoots are now being forced to avoid areas where wolves roam.

As they did before their disappearance, the wolves are unwittingly acting as guardians of the young trees, helping them survive until they are large enough to avoid being eaten by grazing herbivores.

As well as frightening the Elk, the wolves are also helping to keep their numbers down. Elk populations began to reduce in size as soon as the wolves returned, their numbers halving in the last 10 years alone.

The loss of trees and shrubs after the disappearance of the wolf produced a major ripple effect throughout the ecosystem, said the researchers from Oregon State University at Corvallis.

There were fewer natural obstacles to prevent erosion by running water, beaver dams were lost, and food webs broke down. Birds, insects, fish and plants were all affected.

The pattern observed by the scientists supports the theory that ecosystems are damaged by the loss of key predators.
Professor William Ripple, from the university’s College of Forestry, said: "This is really exciting, and it's great news for Yellowstone. We've seen some recovery of willows and cottonwood, but this is the first time we can document significant aspen growth, a tree species in decline all over the West. We’ve waited a long time to see this, but now we’re optimistic that things may be on the right track.


"In riparian zones (around river banks), where wolves can most easily sneak up on elk, and gullies or other features make it more difficult for elk to escape, we've seen the most aspen recovery. We did not document nearly as much recovery in upland areas, at least so far, where elk apparently feel safer. But even there, aspen are growing better in areas with logs or debris that would make it more difficult for elk to move quickly."