The keystone at the top of an arch holds all the stones in place. Without it, the arch collapses. Healthy ecosystems needs keystones—like wolves and whitebark pines—to function. Keystone species are the architects of biodiversity.
Many predators are keystone species. We focus on far ranging species like wolves and bears in recognition of the complex, interactive, and vital roles these species play in predator-prey dynamics.
Wolves
In the absence of wolves in Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Parks, elk browsed willows in river and creek bottoms excessively. Now that wolves are back in Yellowstone, riparian areas have come alive as long-suppressed cottonwoods and willows are growing, providing vital habitat for songbirds. Beaver have also returned, influencing water quality.
Wolves also play an important role in regulating other predators. With fewer coyotes, antelope fawn survival has increased dramatically.
Grizzly bears
Grizzly bears play a highly complex role in ecosystems. In addition to predation on elk and moose calves, grizzlies disperse seeds over large areas, and contribute to nutrient cycling. Dubbed “ecosystem engineers” by some, the foraging activities of grizzly bears may build or change the ecosystem. For example, coastal brown bears transfer salmon-derived nitrogen into riparian ecosystems when they kill, move, eat, and leave some fish in the forest.
More Information
Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators
by William Stolzenburg
