Assignment task:
Q1.) How do you think the developments your peers chose influenced the world outside of the sciences?
Q2.) Why do these developments matter to us as individuals and a society?
The topic I chose is how the reintroduction of Wolves has impacted the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Their reintroduction has shaped the way prey animals move, revitalizing plant life and even changing the way a river in Yellowstone flows. Through this reintroduction, wolves have been identified as a keystone species. Keystone Species are animals that shape the way an ecosystem flows and prospers. Keystone species fill ecological niches and are requirements for the health of an ecosystem. The study of keystone species and why they are so important is the reason wolves were reintroduced in the first place. Biologists have been looking into how keystone species work and why they are essential. It has been determined that predators are often keystone species, as they are specially adapted to hunt and control the local fauna. Elephants are another keystone species, as they contain large tree growths and encourage grasslands that support grazing herds and large predators. Through the study of Keystone species, biologists are helping to restore ecosystems everywhere.