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Bringing back the wolves : how a predator restored an ecosystem / written by Jude Isabella ; illustrated by Kim Smith.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: Toronto, ON : Kids Can Press, [2020]Copyright date: ©2020Description: 39 pages : color illustrations, color map ; 29 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781771386258
  • 1771386258
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
An unintentional experiment -- Taming the wild -- The food web -- Silence in the valley -- Portrait of a wolf... -- And its pack -- A predator moves in -- An ungulate buffet -- Tree transformation -- Business as usual for bison -- Canids in the middle -- Sky full of predators -- Feathered frenemies -- Grizzled giants... -- And creeping crawlies -- The valley sings again -- The return of the beaver -- Mending the web.
Summary: "In 1995, the gray wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after a seventy-year absence. All these years later, we can clearly see the cascading effects this has had on the park's ecosystem. This is a spectacular example of a trophic cascade, the term used when an important member of an ecosystem goes missing and many other living things are indirectly affected, causing a chain reaction of events. In the case of the reintroduced wolves of Yellowstone, the chain reaction went as far as changing the behavior of waterways and the surrounding geology. This book is a fascinating exploration of the transformations that have taken place in Yellowstone National Park since the wolves returned -- including the monumental changes to the landscape and to all the animals that live there -- clearly told through lively narrative and food web infographics."-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Children's Book Children's Book Dr. James Carlson Library Children's NonFiction 599.773 I74 Available 33111009820685
Children's Book Children's Book Main Library Children's NonFiction 599.773 I74 Available 33111009639077
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An unintended experiment in Yellowstone National Park, in which an ecosystem is devastated and then remarkably rehabilitated, provides crucial lessons about nature's intricate balancing act.

In the 1800s, hunters were paid by the American government to eliminate threats to livestock on cattle ranches near Yellowstone National Park. They did such a good job that, by 1926, no gray wolf packs were left in the park. Over the following decades, virtually every other part of the park's ecosystem was affected by the loss of the wolves -- from the animals who were their prey, to the plants that were the food for that prey, to the streams that were sheltered by those plants -- and the landscape was in distress. So, starting in 1995, in an attempt to reverse course, the government reintroduced gray wolves to the park. Over time, animal populations stabilized, waterways were restored and a healthy ecosystem was recreated across the land. It's a striking transformation, and a fascinating tale of life's complicated interdependencies.

Jude Isabella's thoroughly researched, expert-reviewed text and Kim Smith's beautiful nature art bring science to life in this captivating story of renewal. Readers will recognize just how complex an ecosystem is and learn about the surprising interconnectedness of its members. Biodiversity, ecosystems, the food chain, habitats, needs of living things and the importance of human stewardship of the environment are all covered through this real-life example, offering direct links to earth and life science curriculums. Food web infographics help reinforce the information. A glossary and index add to the book's usefulness.

Includes bibliographical references (page 38) and index.

An unintentional experiment -- Taming the wild -- The food web -- Silence in the valley -- Portrait of a wolf... -- And its pack -- A predator moves in -- An ungulate buffet -- Tree transformation -- Business as usual for bison -- Canids in the middle -- Sky full of predators -- Feathered frenemies -- Grizzled giants... -- And creeping crawlies -- The valley sings again -- The return of the beaver -- Mending the web.

"In 1995, the gray wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after a seventy-year absence. All these years later, we can clearly see the cascading effects this has had on the park's ecosystem. This is a spectacular example of a trophic cascade, the term used when an important member of an ecosystem goes missing and many other living things are indirectly affected, causing a chain reaction of events. In the case of the reintroduced wolves of Yellowstone, the chain reaction went as far as changing the behavior of waterways and the surrounding geology. This book is a fascinating exploration of the transformations that have taken place in Yellowstone National Park since the wolves returned -- including the monumental changes to the landscape and to all the animals that live there -- clearly told through lively narrative and food web infographics."-- Provided by publisher.

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