Nature Share

Share

How This Animal Helped Save Yellowstone's Aspen Trees

The return of wolves and other predators to Yellowstone has reduced elk browsing, allowing aspen trees to grow back for the first time in decades.

By Jennifer Gray • 3 hours ago

An image of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the wildlife center of the National Park Hortobagy.

( Getty Images )

After decades of decline, the aspen forests of northern Yellowstone are finally making a comeback, and believe it or not, it’s all thanks to the return of certain carnivores.

A new long-term study has revealed a significant shift in the health of quaking aspen stands across northern Yellowstone National Park. Researchers found that 43% of the surveyed stands now contain a new generation of overstory aspen trees,

See Full Page