Wolf Wars.pdf - ePetersons.com

spots, foraging on young aspen, willow, and
cottonwood until the stems grew clubbed and
stunted like bonsai plants. Released from such
grazing pressure, saplings now shoot up to form
lush young groves. More songbirds find nesting
habitat within their leafy shade. Along
waterways, vigorous willow and cottonwood
growth helps stabilize stream banks. More
insects fall from overhanging stems to feed fish
and amphibians. Beavers find enough
nutritious twigs and branches to support new
colonies.
Surveying the huge northern range, where most
of the park's elk winter, Doug Smith turned up
just one beaver colony in 1996—the lowest tally
in decades. By 2009, he recorded 12. Along
Crystal Creek I find another recent beaver dam
storing water, releasing a more constant flow
for riparian species downstream through the
dry months. Ponds and marshes that form
behind the dams create habitat for moose,
muskrat, mink, waterfowl, wading birds, and an
array of other wildlife. After wolves moved in,
cougars that had begun hunting the valleys
retreated to the steep, rocky terrain they