What happened to the number of elk in the park when the wolves were removed in the 1930's?
What happened to the number of elk in the park when the wolves were removed in the 1930's? As might be expected, after wolves were removed, elk herds increased in population, reaching new highs during the mid-1930's. The increased number of elk apparently resulted in overgrazing in parts of Yellowstone.
What would likely happen if all of the elk in Yellowstone park were removed?
If elk were removed from the park or the population were to decrease, the populations of the elk's predators would be affected. For example, if the population of elk were decreased by disease or natural disaster, wolves and coyotes, would experience difficulty finding elk to feed on.
What happened to the elk population when the wolves were reintroduced to the park?
With the reintroduction of wolves into the ecosystem in 1995, elk populations held their own from 1995 to 2000 (17,000), before they dramatically dropped by 50 percent to 8,335 in winter 2004.