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INCREASED WILLOW HEIGHTS ALONG NORTHERN YELLOWSTONE's BLACKTAIL DEER CREEK FOLLOWING WOLF REINTRODUCTION
Open accessAbstract
Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995–1996. In August 2004 we measured plant architecture of Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana) stems along three 100-m reaches of Blacktail Deer Creek in Yellowstone's northern elk (Cervus elaphus) winter range to evaluate changes in patterns of browsing and height growth following wolf reintroduction. Average browsing intensities (n = 3 stream reaches) of 100% in 1997 decreased to 0%–55% by 2003, whereas average stem heights of 25–74 cm in 1997 increased to 149–268 cm by 2003, indicating that willow height growth was inversely related to browsing intensity. In addition, average willow canopy cover over the streams increased from <5% in 1997 to 14%–73% in 2004. These findings were consistent with a hypothesis that increased willow heights following the 1995–1996 wolf reintroduction represent a trophic cascade involving wolves, elk, and deciduous woody vegetation.
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“There is a clear threshold of willow height needed for ecosystem recovery—willow stands must exceed 2 m in height [22,39].”
From Stream hydrology limits recovery of riparian ecosystems after wolf reintroduction (2013) · cites this paper as [22]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“By 2003, browsing had decreased and willow height and cover increased in some sites, suggesting a trophic cascade, where predators indirectly benefit willows through effects on elk (Singer et al. 2003, Beschta and Ripple 2007, Beyer et al. 2007).”
From Tall willow thickets return to northern Yellowstone (2020) · cites this paper as Beschta and Ripple 2007
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“However, it remains unclear if restoration of wolves has restored the riparian zone via a trophic cascade [21–24].”
From Stream hydrology limits recovery of riparian ecosystems after wolf reintroduction (2013) · cites this paper as [22]
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“suggesting that behavioral effects of predators may have played a role in reducing browsing (Singer et al. 2003, Ripple and Beschta 2006, Beschta and Ripple 2007, Beyer et al. 2007).”
From Tall willow thickets return to northern Yellowstone (2020) · cites this paper as Beschta and Ripple 2007
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
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“reductions in browsing and associated increases in willow growth documented by other studies (Singer et al. 2003, Beschta and Ripple 2007, Beyer et al. 2007, Beschta and Ripple 2018)”
From Tall willow thickets return to northern Yellowstone (2020) · cites this paper as Beschta and Ripple 2007
In the citing paper
“Within approximately a decade after wolf reintroduction, young cottonwoods and aspen, as well as other deciduous species, began to grow taller in various portions of the Northern Range, thus providing a new cohort of saplings [≥2 m tall and <5 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh)] and small trees (5-10 cm dbh) (Beschta and Ripple 2007, 2015; Ripple and Beschta 2007; Painter et al. 2015).”
From A Century of Overabundant Ungulates in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley: First Elk and Now Bison (2026) · cites this paper as Beschta and Ripple 2007
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Citations
Cites
Wolves influence elk movements: Behavior shapes a trophic cascade in Yellowstone National Park
Fortin, D., Beyer, H. L., Boyce, M. S., Smith, D. W., Duchesne, T., & Mao, J. S. (2005) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/04-0953 · Cited by 1,351 · cited 1×
“They include, for example, altered patterns of elk herbivory (Ripple et al. 2001, Fortin et al. 2005) and a spatially patchy increase in the heights of young willows and cottonwoods Western North American Naturalist 67(4), © 2007, pp. 613–617 INCREASED WILLOW HEIGHTS ALONG NORTHERN YELLOWSTONE’S…”
BackgroundWolves and the Ecology of Fear: Can Predation Risk Structure Ecosystems?
RIPPLE, W. J., & BESCHTA, R. L. (2004) · BioScience · doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0755:wateof]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 813
Self-citationWestern North American Naturalist
(2019) · Western North American Naturalist · doi:10.3398/wnan · Cited by 732
Predation risk affects reproductive physiology and demography of elk
Creel, S., Christianson, D., Liley, S., & Winnie, J. A. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1135918 · Cited by 666
SMITH, D. W., PETERSON, R. O., & HOUSTON, D. B. (2003) · BioScience · doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0330:yaw]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 458
Trophic cascades among wolves, elk and aspen on Yellowstone National Park’s northern range
Ripple, W. J., Larsen, E. J., Renkin, R. A., & Smith, D. W. (2001) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/s0006-3207(01)00107-0 · Cited by 452
Self-citationWolf reintroduction, predation risk, and cottonwood recovery in Yellowstone National Park
Ripple, W. J., & Beschta, R. L. (2003) · Forest Ecology and Management · doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(03)00154-3 · Cited by 395
Self-citationRipple, W. J., & Beschta, R. L. (2006) · Forest Ecology and Management · doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2006.04.023 · Cited by 148
Self-citationWolves, elk, willows, and trophic cascades in the upper Gallatin Range of Southwestern Montana, USA
Ripple, W. J., & Beschta, R. L. (2004) · Forest Ecology and Management · doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2004.06.017 · Cited by 146
Self-citationYellowstone's Northern Elk Herd: Critical Evaluation of the "Natural Regulation" Paradigm.
Kay, C. E. (2021) · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · doi:10.26076/8f79-90df · Cited by 117
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Fortin D., 2005, Ecology, 86, 1230
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15years after wolf reintroduction
Ripple, W. J., & Beschta, R. L. (2012) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.11.005 · Cited by 884
“The Yellowstone findings support other studies regarding the role of wolves in trophic cascades in northern Wisconsin (Callan, 2010), as well as Banff (Hebblewhite et al., 2005), Wind Cave (Ripple and Beschta, 2007a), Jasper (Beschta and Ripple, 2007b), and Olympic (Beschta and Ripple, 2008) National Parks.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-citationLarge predators and trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems of the western United States
Beschta, R. L., & Ripple, W. J. (2009) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.06.015 · Cited by 463
“8a) and young willows and cottonwoods in the northern range (Ripple and Beschta, 2003, 2006b; Beschta and Ripple, 2007).”
BackgroundSelf-citationRiparian vegetation recovery in Yellowstone: The first two decades after wolf reintroduction
Beschta, R. L., & Ripple, W. J. (2016) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.03.031 · Cited by 160
“In contrast, Beschta and Ripple (2007a) found increased heights of young willow along Blacktail Deer Creek began around 2000 with mean heights attaining 200 cm by 2004 (Fig 3c).”
BackgroundSelf-citationStream hydrology limits recovery of riparian ecosystems after wolf reintroduction
Marshall, K. N., Hobbs, N. T., & Cooper, D. J. (2013) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.2977 · Cited by 108
Ecosystem context and historical contingency in apex predator recoveries
Stier, A. C., Samhouri, J. F., Novak, M., Marshall, K. N., Ward, E. J., Holt, R. D., & Levin, P. S. (2016) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501769 · Cited by 108
Metadata
- Authors
- Beschta, R. L., & Ripple, W. J.
- Affiliations
- Oregon State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Beschta, Robert L.
- Ripple, William J.
- Venue
- Western North American Naturalist
- Publisher
- Western North American Naturalist
- Published
- 2007-12
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 613-617
- ISSN
- 1527-0904 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2066742471
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Western North American Naturalist (publishedVersion)
- ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) (submittedVersion)
- BioOne Complete (BioOne) (submittedVersion)
- 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
- gray wolf reintroduction, elk browsing, Salix geyeriana, trophic cascades, canopy cover, herbivory, Yellowstone National Park
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- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: INCREASED WILLOW HEIGHTS ALONG NORTHERN YELLOWSTONE's BLACKTAIL DEER CREEK FOLLOWING WOLF REINTRODUCTION. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.3398/1527-0904(2007)67%5B613:iwhany%5D2.0.co;2
- The paper
- Beschta, R. L., & Ripple, W. J. (2007). INCREASED WILLOW HEIGHTS ALONG NORTHERN YELLOWSTONE's BLACKTAIL DEER CREEK FOLLOWING WOLF REINTRODUCTION. Western North American Naturalist. https://doi.org/10.3398/1527-0904(2007)67%5B613%3Aiwhany%5D2.0.co%3B2
