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Cited by 395Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEcology and biodiversity studiesRangeland and Wildlife Management

Wolf reintroduction, predation risk, and cottonwood recovery in Yellowstone National Park

Ripple, William J., Beschta, Robert L.·2003·Forest Ecology and Management
DOI 10.1016/s0378-1127(03)00154-3
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Abstract

We studied young riparian cottonwoods (Populus spp.) and associated woody plants along Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River in northeastern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to examine the potential influence of wolf/elk interactions upon plant growth. After a peri od of approximately 70 years without wolves in YNP, they were reintroduced in the winter of 1995–1996. When we compared woody plant heights shown in photographs taken prior to 1998 with those shown in 2001–2002 photos, we found an increase in the height of riparian woody plants for six of the eight sites within the study area. Plants were tallest (1–4 m) at point bar, stream confluence, and island sites, while heights remained relatively low (<1 m) along straight river reaches in a wide valley setting. We measured differences in both browsing intensity and cottonwood height for sites with relatively high predation risk (low visibility and/or the presence of escape barriers) and compared them to nearby sites with relatively low predation risk (open areas). In general, the high-risk sites had lower browsing intensities (percent of stems browsed) and taller plants than low-risk sites. Although the young cottonwoods on high-risk sites were growing taller each year over the last 4 years, there was little change in the plant heights for low-risk sites. For a stand of young cottonwoods growing adjacent to a gully (potential escape barrier), we found a linear correlation (r2=0.76) between cottonwood height and adjacent gully…

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0378-1127(03)00154-3

Cites

35 of 35 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • An initiation of riparian willow and cottonwood recovery has been documented for winter range in the northeastern portion of Yellowstone National Park.

    “An initiation of riparian willow and cottonwood recovery has similarly been documented for winter range in the northeastern portion of Yellowstone National Park (Ripple and Beschta, 2003).”

    From River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA (2006) · cites this paper as Ripple and Beschta, 2003

  • All but one of the studies to date documenting wolf-induced willow recovery have been conducted along the few large, low-gradient streams that were never hydrologically influenced by beaver, because they are too wide for beavers to dam.

    “All but one of the studies to date documenting wolfinduced willow recovery (Ripple et al. 2001, Beschta 2003, Ripple and Beschta 2003, 2004 b ) have been conducted along the few large, low-gradient streams that were never hydrologically influenced by beaver, because they are too wide for beavers to dam.”

    From WATER TABLES CONSTRAIN HEIGHT RECOVERY OF WILLOW ON YELLOWSTONE'S NORTHERN RANGE (2008) · cites this paper as Ripple and Beschta 2003

  • Because wolves may lessen elk browsing intensity in areas of high predation risk, spatial variation in elk browsing intensity on the northern range is to be expected.

    “Because wolves may lessen elk browsing intensity in areas of high predation risk, such as some valley bottoms that lack quick escape routes (Ripple and Beschta 2003), spatial variation in elk browsing intensity on the northern range is to be expected.”

    From WATER TABLES CONSTRAIN HEIGHT RECOVERY OF WILLOW ON YELLOWSTONE'S NORTHERN RANGE (2008) · cites this paper as Ripple and Beschta 2003

  • Wolves are thought to reduce elk browsing on willow largely by altering elk foraging behavior rather than by reducing elk population size.

    “Wolves are thought to reduce elk browsing on willow largely by altering elk foraging behavior (Ripple and Beschta 2003, Fortin et al. 2005 a ), rather than by reducing elk population size.”

    From WATER TABLES CONSTRAIN HEIGHT RECOVERY OF WILLOW ON YELLOWSTONE'S NORTHERN RANGE (2008) · cites this paper as Ripple and Beschta 2003

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

3 of the 38 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Chadde, S.W., Kay, C.E., 1996. Tall-willow communities on Yellowstone’s northern range: a test of the “natural-regulation” paradigm. In: Singer, F.J. (Ed.), Technical Report No. NPS/NRYELL/NRTR/96-01. National Park Service, Natural Resource Information Division, Denver, CO, pp. 165–183.
  2. Jonas, R.J., 1955. A population and ecological study of beaver (Castor canadensis) of Yellowstone National Park. M.S. Thesis. University of Idaho, Moscow.
  3. Meagher, M.M., Houston, D.B., 1998. Yellowstone and the Biology of Time. Oklahoma State University Press, Norman, OK.

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Authors
Ripple, W. J., & Beschta, R. L.
Affiliations
Oregon State University (US)
Corresponding author
Ripple, William J.
ORCID
Venue
Forest Ecology and Management
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2003-10
Volume
184
Issue
1-3
Pages
299-313
ISSN
0378-1127 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/s0378-1127(03)00154-3
OpenAlex
W2023572308
Semantic Scholar
0102cc2d957ec54353066a8753dcd3b127177e6c
Cited by
395
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 19
FWCI
19.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
Forest Ecology and Management (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Ecology and biodiversity studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
Keywords
wolf reintroduction, predation risk, poplar, elk browsing, riparian vegetation, trophic cascades, top-down control, willow, riparian restoration, Yellowstone National Park

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