| WHERE DO WE START? |
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| Think Like a Scientist |
| While moose and elk are both abundant prey species for wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, elk are the predominant prey. For this case study we have chosen to focus on Dr. Joel Berger's research on moose. |
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For Dr. Berger--as well as other scientists,
citizens, and organizations like the Yellowstone Wolf
Project--the wolf reintroduction sparked endless questions,
including: |
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How would the wolves impact their
prey? |
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Would some species be unable to cope
with this new predator? |
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Would wolves wipe out Yellowstone
moose populations? |
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To answer his research question, Dr. Berger and his team packed
their field equipment and set out to study moose in six field
sites:
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| Study Site |
Wolves &
Bears |
No Wolves or
Grizzly Bears |
| Denali, AK |
X |
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| Talkeetna, AK |
X |
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| MatSu, AK |
X |
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| Kalgin Isle, AK |
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X |
| Teton, Yellowstone |
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X |
| Forest, Yellowstone |
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X |
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In the predator-free systems, moose had not experienced wolves (or bears) for 40 to 75 years.
In the other three sites in Alaska, moose, wolves, and bears had overlapped for about 9,000 years.
Note: However, in 1998, reintroduced wolves from Yellowstone National Park moved down into the Grand Tetons.
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| FIELD NOTEBOOK |
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Download these questions as a document. |
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Which study site is farthest north? Farthest south? |
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What did the Grand Teton site have in common with the Kalgin Isle site in Alaska? |
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Why did Dr. Berger study the animals in the wild? Could he have answered his research question in his office? Reading a book? On the Internet? Why or why not? |
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Note: Your answers don’t need to be
correct, but they do need to offer a logical explanation. |
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