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Monday, August 17, 2020

Bringing Back the Wolves: How A Predator Restored An Ecosystem. Written by Jude Isabella and illustrated by Kim Smith. Kids Can Press. 2020. $19.99 ages 8 and up

"Nothing is as it should be
in Yellowstone National Park:
the spindly trees have trouble
standing up, grasses have spread
across the landscape, and the
streams are deep and straight
instead of meandering and
shallow. The landscape looks
ill.

BUT THINGS ARE ABOUT
TO CHANGE IN THE PARK ... "

Yellowstone National Park existed for too many years without the presence of wolves, a fundamental
predator in balancing the entire ecosystem that had once existed. Without the wolf, the elk herds had become a detriment to the balance needed to sustain a healthy environment.

"Wolves are top or apex predators. When such an
important member of an ecosystem goes missing, many
other living things are indirectly affected, causing a chain
reaction of events. This is called a trophic cascade. 

A trophic cascade works in the opposite direction, too.
Reinstating the missing link can also cause a chain reaction."

In 1995, work began to bring the wolves back to Yellowstone. The author relates her text to the changes that affected the park, and adds sidebars called It's Elemental to show how natural forces impact those changes as well. She provides clear information about the wolf, its pack, and its effect on the overpopulation of elk.

The content is easy-to-understand for readers because of its design and exceptional research. As the wolves reduced the elk population, the park was allowed to return to its former glory. Plants grew and provided berries for bears, and offered homes to insects and birds. On and on it went, changing the pastoral environment in every way. This is a book that will give readers a close look at how ecosystems work, and a better understanding of the need to ensure their future. It is just one example of ecosystem recovery that clearly shows interdependence and adaptation.

"Twenty-five years after their reintroduction, about 500 wolves roam the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, staking their claim in the food web. Wolves have balanced the ecosystem just by being themselves, apex predators."

Readers will enjoy the illustrations done in Photoshop. They provide context for each step along the way to success and help celebrate the welcome return of a vital component to the park itself.  A glossary, a list of resources and an index bring this excellent piece of nonfiction to a close.

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