Gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, resulting in a trophic cascade through the entire ecosystem. After the wolves were driven extinct in the region nearly 100 years ago, scientists began to fully understand their role in the food web as a keystone species.
Term Part of Speech Definition Encyclopedic Entry conservation Noun
management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect.
Encyclopedic Entry: conservation ecology Noun
branch of biology that studies the relationship between living organisms and their environment.
Encyclopedic Entry: ecology food web Noun
all related food chains in an ecosystem. Also called a food cycle.
Encyclopedic Entry: food web reintroduce Verb
to return members of a species to their historical range.
Yellowstone National Park Noun
large national park in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.