Wolves, elk and aspen. Scientists explore effects of predators’ reintroduction on tree growth in Yellowstone

From The Lewiston Tribune:

For more than a decade, a passionate debate has reverberated within Yellowstone National Park’s scientific community regarding wolf reintroduction. Did wolves improve aspen growth by helping to reduce elk populations, called a density-mediated indirect effect (DMIE)? Or did the mere presence of wolves make elk so nervous they didn’t eat as many aspen, or avoided areas where they may have encountered wolves, called a trait-mediated indirect effect (TMIE)?

“Scientists don’t just want to show what’s happening; we want to figure out why it’s happening,” explained Kristin Barker, research coordinator for the Beyond Yellowstone Program based in Jackson, Wyo.

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