An unparalleled opportunity for an important ecological study

BioScience
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Abstract

Wolves (Canis lupus) and moose (Alces americanus) have been studied since 1958 on 540-square-kilometer Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior. Wolves arrived there across the ice around 1949, and the population once increased to about 50, averaging about 25 annually (Mech 1966, Jordan et al. 1967, Vucetich and Peterson 2009). However, for various reasons, wolf numbers there have now dwindled to 2 nonbreeders, and the US National Park Service has proposed reintroducing 20–30 wolves over 3 years (National Park Service 2016). This situation offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote science-based management of this unique national park. The park has long been in the public eye for its world-renowned wolf and moose populations. Visitors to this island wilderness are especially interested in the scientific studies it has yielded and in maintaining its ecosystem.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title An unparalleled opportunity for an important ecological study
Series title BioScience
DOI 10.1093/biosci/bix095
Volume 67
Issue 10
Year Published 2017
Language English
Publisher American Institute of Biological Sciences
Contributing office(s) Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Description 2 p.
First page 875
Last page 876
Country United States
State Michigan
Other Geospatial Isle Royale National Park; Lake Superior
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