Biological issues of reintroduction

The social structure of wolves and the pack dynamics are important in trying to encourage the establishment of productive packs through selected individual source wolves for reintroduction. The wolf is a pack animal and lives in tight social units with dominant, reproductive leaders in the alpha-male and alpha-female. The hunting strategies, dispersal tendencies, and social interactions of wolves are key factors in pack formation. The establishment of wolf packs brings up the issue of isolated packs and the potential problem of maintaining adequate genetic variation. Limited genetic variation puts a pack at risk for many reasons including inbreeding depression and lack of diversity to combat disease.

The interaction of wolves with their environment is both direct and indirect. A previously absent predator-prey system will be re-established. This means, for example, ungulate populations will be affected directly by the return of the wolf. Further investigation may reveal indirect impacts on the community matrix and trophic cascades. Introduction of a top-predator will have a cascading influence on the ecosystem and have effects at many different layers within the system. The environmental implications of reintroduced wolves will be examined in further detail.

Ultimately, the success of wolf reintroduction hinges on the coexistence of wolves and humans. The public acceptance of reintroduction is critical for success (Mech, 1995 cited in Wydeven, 1998). Human development extends into the area of reintroduction and creates complexities. Development establishes territory barriers and obstacles, and domestic livestock provides an easy and untouchable source of prey. In a sense, wolf reintroduction is an attempt to complete an ecosystem that has been deprived of a key species, and remedy a problem humans created when wolves were aggressively exterminated in the United States.

"Man depends on wildlife for survival, and wildlife depends equally on man. The two must find means for living together on planet earth or there will be no life on earth." (Ehrlich, 1995)

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