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Dropping from 50 to 12 in just two years, this change shifted the ecosystem from one where wolves had a greater influence on the prey population, to one where climate, available forage, and other undetermined factors were more influential. In combination with decreasing populations of both moose and beaver, a likely increased amount of wolf on wolf mortality related to food shortages, and the canine parvovirus (CPV2) disease outbreak which greatly reduced the number of pups surviving into adulthood, the Isle Royale population of wolves, naïve to this strain of the virus, was significantly impacted. In one study, wolves were demonstrated to have a larger impact on the moose population prior to a disease outbreak within the wolf population than after. Many internal and external factors influence the populations of island predator and prey.Ībundance of prey on Isle Royale is undoubtedly influenced by the number of wolves, however, many other factors impact both moose and beaver populations. Predator-Prey Relationships: Wolves-Moose & BeaverĪlthough considered a relatively simple ecosystem when compared to the mainland, the relationships between moose, beaver, and wolves on Isle Royale are quite complicated. One thing is certain- their island existence is interconnected. The populations of wolves, moose, and beavers have fluctuated over time. Scientists have been asking similar questions about the predator-prey relationships on Isle Royale for over sixty years. What if an island lacked an apex predator? What if prey roamed unchecked on a secluded landscape? Wolves directly impact how many moose and beaver there are at Isle Royale National Park. Other large predators are absent from the island, such as bears, coyotes, and mountain lions. Wolves have been the single island apex predator of moose and beaver since the late 1940s. What would happen if only one predator inhabited an isolated ecosystem? Isle Royale's isolation limits the number of species a part of its ecosystem. Hibernating animals miss the chance to cross an ice bridge that sometimes forms between the mainland and the island. Animals that hibernate in the winter do not inhabit the island-like bears. Large mammals like wolves, moose, and beaver have made the journey. Not all mainland species are found on remote Isle Royale. What if an ecosystem was unreachable for some species? Vucetich, Michigan Technological University
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They prey on moose, beaver, and snowshoe hare.