By Carylanne Joubert
Introduction and
Description of Project
My name is Carylanne Joubert and I am 14 years old. I have
been home-schooled since kindergarten; with my mom
teaching me from K-8 and then enrolled fully with FLVS for
high school. I am currently in 10th grade and will be finishing
within two months. For 9th grade, I completed these FLVS
courses: Honors World History, Honors English I, Honors
Algebra, Honors Earth-Space Science, Spanish I, and Honors
Biology. For 10th grade I have taken: Honors Geometry, Life
Management Skills, Psychology, Spanish II, and will be
completing my Honors Chemistry, Honors English II, and
Latin I courses soon. I have been interested in a scientific
career as a zoologist and ecologist since I was four years old. I
have always been fascinated with science and have had many
opportunities such as visiting an active volcano, and the best
observatory in the world both located on the Big Island of
Hawaii; and I have been to numerous zoos and aquariums.
Science is a very important part of my life and it will continue
to be so.
This project researches the negative effects of man’s
encroachment on ecosystems; this includes the effects on the
ecosystem when the apex predators are taken out of the
natural balance whether because Man hunts them to
extinction or Man destroys their natural habitats. Several
specific examples of these animals will be provided, with an indepth look at one of the examples. The project will include
what is being done and why these measures are not working.
Finally, the presentation will include how the events that occur
because of Man affects humans themselves. The main
questions that are being researched are why these endangered
apex predators are important to the ecosystems and Man; and
why the environmental programs that have been put into place
for the protection of endangered species are not working.
BENEFITS OF APEX
PREDATORS
In an ecosystem, there are three types of animals: the
herbivores, mesopredators and apex predators. The apex
predators in an environment are the largest predator and
they are the animal that is at the top of the food chain in
that ecosystem. The mesopredators are the smaller
predators that are just below the apex predators on the
food chain of an ecosystem. Examples of apex predators
are polar bears, sharks, lions, grey wolves, dingoes, Eurasian
lynxes, jaguars, and Siberian tigers.
Besides being at the top of the food chain, apex predators
provide many benefits to the surrounding environment.
These benefits include managing herbivore populations
through eating; managing mesopredator populations either
by eating or killing them; indirectly lowering the rate of
erosion on a river bank; and providing “nutrient hotspots”.
Apex predators lower erosion rates of river banks because
they hunt the herbivores that eat the plants; and these
plants stabilize the river banks. Also apex predators
provide what are called “nutrient hotspots”. These
hotspots are created at the site where the apex predator’s
prey is left after being eaten. The digestive fluids in the
remains of the prey contain nutrients which seep into the
soil, enriching it and encouraging plant growth. These
chemicals are inorganic nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium,
and bacterial and fungal fatty acids.
EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT
WHEN APEX PREDATORS
ARE TAKEN OUT OF THE
EQUATION
The services that the apex predators provide to the
ecosystem are invaluable because they cannot be given
without the apex predators. When an apex predator
species in an environment is exterminated, many
negative effects are forced to occur in the ecosystem.
The first negative effect of an apex predator species’
disappearance is with prey species’ populations. When
an apex predator is not in the environment to control
the prey species’ populations, and the species is
allowed to reproduce without hindrance from the apex
predators, the population of the prey quickly increases.
This means that there are more herbivores who will
eat more plants and trees, killing off plant species or
affecting the growth of certain plant species such as
trees. With less plant species in the area, the riverbanks
are no longer reinforced by the plants. Without
reinforcement from the plants, the river widens which
causes the water levels to decrease, and this affects
the aquatic animals. When the water level decreases,
higher temperatures are also experienced by the entire
ecosystem. Another problem that is caused is that
without the apex predator’s kills leaving “nutrient
hotspots”, the plants do not have the nutrients they
need from the soil to grow properly. Finally, when an
apex predator is taken out of the natural equation, the
mesopredator populations increase rapidly and
disproportionately. Most mesopredators are omnivores
or scavengers. This means the mesopredators hunt a
wide array of animals causing the bigger prey animals
to increase and destroy plant habitats; and causing the
smaller prey animals to be hunted more often, causing
these species’ populations to plummet. Examples of
apex predator and mesopredator species’ relationships
are jaguars and ocelots; lions and hyenas; Siberian tigers
and Ussuri brown bears; dingoes and Australian foxes;
sharks and sting rays; polar bears and Arctic foxes;
wolves and coyotes; and Eurasian lynxes and European
weasels.
EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM WITH
THE GREY WOLVES AND COYOTES; AND
BIOLOGICAL FACTORS INVOLVED.
Researchers in Yellowstone National Park
have been studying the effects of lost apex
predators since the wolves disappeared in
that area in the early 1900’s. Without the
wolves, the elk population increased; and
this affected the plant species, especially
the Aspen trees. The Aspen trees were no
longer growing as tall as they were when the
wolves were at the park because the elk
were feeding on them more often, inhibiting
their ability to grow taller. Also the coyote
population, the mesopredator in this
situation, increased rapidly. Coyotes do not
hunt elk as often as wolves do, and they
prefer to eat sheep and cows more often
than wolves. In addition, the coyote
populations were harder and more
expensive to control than the wolf
populations. Biological facts that affect this
problem as well: wolves have an average of
six pups per year, give birth to one litter per
year during the summer, reach sexual
maturity at age 2 years old, and live up to
seven years in the wild. Whereas, coyotes
have an average of six pups per year but can
have up to nineteen; reach sexual maturity
at age 1 years old; and live up to ten years
in the wild. Also elk have an average of one
foal per year; reach sexual maturity at age 2
years old; and live ten to thirteen years in
the wild.
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PROTECT THE
WOLVES?
Because of all the problems that occurred
without the wolves, thirty-seven wolves were
introduced back into Yellowstone National Park
in the late 1990’s to reinstate the wolf packs.
They were also placed on the Endangered
Species List in the late 1990’s to protect them
from further harm. In December of 2010, the
total wolf count was 1,700 wolves over a total
area of six states.
Although the wolf packs were reinstated to Yellowstone National Park, and
the population of wolves was increased in the twelve year period, the wolves
are still having problems. Ranchers that live in the area of the six states that
contain the wolves believe that the wolves are a menace; and they do not
want the wolves to live anywhere but Yellowstone to prevent the wolves
from killing their livestock. Also the government, at the behest of the
ranchers, is trying to take wolves off of the Endangered Species List to allow
wolves to be killed on-sight again. The ranchers see wolves as a threat to
the amount of money they make per sale of livestock; and they and other
people in the area are afraid of wolves and wolf attacks. There are nonlethal ways to protect livestock from wolf attacks. Items such as special tags
that make a noise when the wind blows through them, rubber bullets, and
flares are able to keep wolves away without harming them. Even though
these methods are known, the ranchers would prefer to be able to hunt
wolves to keep them away from the property or to kill wolves on-sight
rather than use non-lethal ways. One statistic that proves why the wolves
should not be taken off the Endangered Species List is that during the first
month of temporary freedom from the Endangered Species Act, ranchers
killed 37 wolves.
Man has feared wolves since the Middle
Ages. During the Middle Ages, the
legends of were-wolves and man-eating
wolves were created, causing fear to be
spread throughout Europe. When the
settlers came to America, they brought
these legends and fears with them. When
the Europeans arrived in America there
were over 200,000 wolves in the entire
country; and today there are less than
5,000 altogether, with less than 1,700 in the
northwest. As the years went by, these
legends changed from being oral legends
to children’s fairytales. Such fairytales as
“Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three
Little Pigs” were created to be told to
children. These children’s stories always
portrayed the wolf as an evil creature
who wanted to eat little children and kill
Man. As technology progressed, new
versions of these legends were created,
focusing on the were-wolf mostly. Movies
such as “American Werewolf in London”,
the new version of “Red Riding Hood” and
others have been created with each new
version of the wolf scarier than the next.
The Shoshones, Bannocks and Nez Perce tribes
lived in the Yellowstone area until they were
forced to live on the reservations. Sacagawea,
the famous Native American mother who
traveled with Lewis and Clark, was herself from
the Shoshone tribe. All of the Native American
tribes revered the wolf and lived peacefully
with them. The Native Americans had no need
for money, and they only took what food they
needed, so they did not have a problem with
the wolves. Most tribes respect the wolf
because it is a great hunter and the wolves take
care of their pack in the same way a human
takes care of their family. The Native Americans
had their own legends about the werewolf as
well, but these myths were very different from
the European versions. The Europeans believed
that a werewolf was created when an evil wolf
bit a human and the Europeans feared the wolf
not the human. These “evil wolves” could have
had rabies which would cause hallucinations and
delirium in humans, causing them to act
strangely and others to believe they are part
animal. The Native Americans believe that the
human was a witch who would abuse the powers
of the wolf to kill their fellow human beings and
they feared the human, not the wolf. The
Native Americans have very strong feelings for
the wolf for another reason. They feel that the
wolves are very similar to them, in that they
have both been forced out of their natural
lands, they have both been considered
“competition” , and they have both been
hunted for their hair. The wolf totem in Native
American culture symbolizes “loyalty,
perseverance, success, intuition, and spirit.”
Grey Wolf
Coyote
Human attacks:
In 2010, only 1 fatal wolf attack was reported to have
occurred in Alaska; whereas, 34 fatal dog attacks
were reported in 2010, with the majority of the
victims being children. Also, there are 4.7 million dog
bite victims in the United States alone, with 1,000
people being treated in an emergency room per day.
The loss of revenue from these dog bites totals over
$1,000,000 per year; and one-third of these attacks
are by Pit-bulls, and one-half are by Rottweilers.
These statistics show that it is more common to be
bitten or killed by “Man’s Best Friend” than by a wolf.
Livestock attacks:
Out of 224,000 sheep fatalities due to predators in
2004, Coyotes were responsible for 60.5% and are
considered the predator that hunts livestock the most.
Normal wolf packs will eat elk; however, if the pack
leader, an elder wolf that teaches the pups how to
hunt, is killed the wolves are more likely to hunt
livestock because sheep and cattle are easy prey.
Rottweiler
Pit-Bull
Population:
From January 2010 to January 2011, wolf populations
near Yellowstone increased from 1,650 to 1,700, which
is a fifty individual increase. From March 2011 to July
of 2012, the human population is expected to increase
from 6,912,414,900 people to 7,000,000,000, which is
a 87,585,100 person increase in just over a year.
When compare, the wolf increase rates are drastically
smaller than the human population increases.
Many organizations and individual people devote their time and their lives to protecting all of these animals.
Examples:
• The polar bears are endangered because of habitat loss due to global warming. People, such as Al Gore, are working to stop global
warming which in turn helps the polar bears.
• In South America, jaguars face the same problems as the wolves in North America. They face habitat destruction, and farmers
believe the jaguars are a nuisance. People such as Sharon Matola, the director of the Belize Zoo, dedicate their lives to saving the
jaguars and trying to educate people about their importance to the jungle.
• In Africa, lions are endangered for similar reasons. Lions face habitat destruction; being killed for recreational sport; and being
killed for their hides which are considered beautiful and are used to make clothing for royalty. People such as Dereck and
Beverly Joubert, devote their entire lives trying to petition the government to protect these animals and to educate people about
the dangers that the lions face.
• In Asia, Siberian tigers face extinction because of habitat loss and because of illegal hunting. The tigers are hunted because
different parts of their bodies, such as teeth and blood, are used in ancient Chinese medicine and these parts are sold illegally on
the Black Market. People and organizations such as Leonardo DiCaprio, the Russian government, and the World Wildlife Fund
have funded programs to help bring the tigers back from the edge of extinction.
• The sharks of the oceans face like circumstances as the tiger. Sharks are killed for the use of their fins for an Asian delicacy, called
Shark fin soup. Only the fins of the shark are used, and the rest of the carcass is thrown back into the sea. When shark
populations are low, the sting rays eat more scallops, a human food, which causes ecological and economical losses. Many
people are trying to protect the sharks by boycotting restaurants that serve Shark fin soup; other people, such as Steve Irwin, go
beyond boycotting by writing research papers and talking about the issue to bring it to the public.
• In Europe, the Eurasian lynx faces extinction. The lynx’s problems are akin to the problems of every other animal, but its biggest
threat is habitat destruction. As Europe increases in population and villages, towns, and cities grow larger, forests are destroyed
more and more to accommodate Europe’s increasing populace.
• Finally, in Australia, dingoes are endangered because of habitat loss and because they, like the jaguar, are considered a pest by the
ranchers and farmers. Steve Irwin, who worked to protect all endangered animals, especially those from his native Australia,
worked to help the dingoes as well as the crocodiles. Other people also help the dingoes because they realize how important
these animals are in controlling the wild fox and feral cat populations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, humans believe by killing these animals,
they will have better lives; however, without these
animals, humans suffer too. These animals, although
sometimes considered a menace, help the
environment which in turn helps Man economically, if
for no other reason. In addition, even though there
are many programs that try to help animals, it is the
responsibility of the entire human race to protect
these animals from extinction. Not every person has
to devote their entire life to saving wildlife; however, if
we do little things now, such as not buying products
made from endangered animals, we can save the
planet a little bit at a time. When the power of one is
put to use, it makes a big difference.
Information for this project is compiled from research found at these
websites: http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0202hance_toppredators.html,
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/23730/,
http://www.angelfire.com/nv/tmyst/facts/symbolic.htm,
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-totems2.html,
http://www.worldometers.info/population, www.wikipedia.org,
http://depts.washington.edu/metmap/facts/coyote,
http://www.nezperce.com/yelpark9.html,
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164102.h
tm, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/01/wolfattacks-on-montana-livestock-spike-stirring-backlash.html,
http://www.yellowstoneinsider.com/issues/wolves/wolfattacks-on-people.php, http://www.nass.usda.gov/, Wolves in
Paradise documentary:
http://www.montanapbs.org/WolvesInParadise/, and
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html
Pictures from www.goole.com