Berry-producing shrub characteristics following wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park

Beschta, Robert L.; Ripple, William J.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2012.03.035

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Vaccinium, Ribes and Rubus) seldom produced fruit at densities ≥ 0.08 deer ha À1 on Vancouver Island. Because many preferred foods of deer are species of high cultural significance that thrived under aboriginal stewardship (Boyd, 1990;Beckwith, 2004;Turner & Peacock, 2005;Dunwiddie et al, 2011;Beschta & Ripple, 2012;Turner, 2014), our results also indicate that maintaining culturally and ecologically significant plant communities in the Georgia Basin will require that we maintain deer densities below 0.08 ha À1 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…). In contrast, Beschta & Ripple () showed that after a century of suppression by elk ( Cervus elaphus L.), berry‐producing shrubs have recently recovered sufficiently to contribute positively to regional food webs in northern Yellowstone 20 years after the reintroduction of wolves ( Canis lupis L.). Taken together, these findings are consistent with historical descriptions by European colonists of Georgia Basin landscapes densely populated by aboriginal food plants (MacDougall et al ., :459) which are now scarce or extinct where deer are common, but that are also known to rebound given protection from high herbivory (Gonzales & Arcese, ; Beschta & Ripple, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, many plant species in our surveys were relied on historically for food and facilitated by aboriginal people throughout western North America and the Georgia Basin prior to European contact (e.g. Elliot, 1983;Turner, 1988Turner, , 2014MacDougall et al, 2004;Dunwiddie et al, 2011;Beschta & Ripple, 2012) and with other species continue to contribute fundamentally to modern aboriginal culture and well-being (Beckwith, 2004;Garibaldi & Turner, 2004;McKechnie et al, 2014;Turner, 2014). Our finding that culturally significant plant species cover and richness declined dramatically in the presence of deer, even at low deer densities (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deer density and plant palatability predict shrub cover, richness, diversity and aboriginal food value in a North American archipelago

Arcese

Schuster

Campbell

et al. 2014

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Trophic cascades are a common consequence of herbivore outbreak and in the absence of hunting can cause the local extinction of native plant species and communities. We compared plant communities at 66 island and mainland sites to test the hypothesis that deer (Cervidae) determine species cover, richness and diversity and that palatable species become rare at high deer density. We validate a region-wide index of deer density and impact on plant communities in a region where culturally significant food plants maintained by aboriginal people prior to European contact helped to define baseline plant communities.Location Gulf and San Juan Island archipelagos and North American mainland.Methods We conducted surveys of 49 native, 10 exotic and 15 culturally significant plant species and deer sign at 66 sites on 35 islands and mainland to determine deer abundance and plant species cover, richness and diversity. We identified culturally significant food plants facilitated by aboriginal people using ethnobotanical knowledge, quantified plant palatability via cafeteria trials and characterized shrub architecture.Results Native and culturally significant shrub cover, richness and diversity were 52-85% lower at sites with abundant deer (0.9-2.8 ha À1 ) versus no deer. However, these values were also 38-82% lower at sites in the lowest deer density class (< 0.08 ha À1 ) versus sites with no deer present. Palatable cover was 92% lower where deer were abundant versus absent and 28% lower in low-density versus deer-free sites. Shrub architecture provided an easily applied index of native and culturally significant plant cover and deer density.Main conclusions We provide comparative examples of endangered plant communities to demonstrate that, contrary to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, any positive effect of deer on plant diversity on islands in the Pacific north-west of North America occurs at densities < 0.08 ha À1 , if at all. This detailed example of trophic downgrading highlights the need and provides the methods to identify herbivore densities compatible with the persistence of all native species in conserved landscapes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deer density and plant palatability predict shrub cover, richness, diversity and aboriginal food value in a North American archipelago

Arcese

Schuster

Campbell

et al. 2014

Diversity and Distributions

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“…The biodiversity was hugely increased [52]. Direct and indirect changes were observed, resulting in rivers changing direction; beaver, grizzly bear, eagle and raven populations increasing [53,54], among many others; increased heights and richness of berry-producing shrubs [55]; and elk populations decreasing.…”

Section: The Importance Of (Bio)diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Meta Analysis of Skin Microbiome: New Link between Skin Microbiota Diversity and Skin Health with Proposal to Use This as a Future Mechanism to Determine Whether Cosmetic Products Damage the Skin

Wallen-Russell

Wallen-Russell²

2017

Cosmetics

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Abstract:There is a skin allergy epidemic in the western world, and the rate of deterioration has increased significantly in the past 5-10 years. It is probable that there are many environmental contributing factors, yet some studies have linked it primarily to the rise in the use of synthetic chemical ingredients in modern cosmetics. Our challenge, therefore, was to find a mechanism to determine the effect these substances have on skin health, and whether they really are a primary cause of long term damage to the skin. The first problem is the lack of any definitive way to measure skin health. Motivated by the overwhelming evidence for a link between deficient gut flora and ill health, we decided to look at whether our skin microbiota could similarly be used as an indicator of skin health. Our research illustrates how microbiota diversity alone can predict whether skin is healthy or not, after we revealed a complete lack of conclusive findings linking the presence or abundance of particular species of microbe to skin problems. This phenomenon is replicated throughout nature, where high biodiversity always leads to healthy ecosystems. 'Caveman' skin, untouched by modern civilisation, was far different to "western" skin and displayed unprecedented levels of bacterial diversity. The less exposed communities were to western practices, the higher the skin diversity, which is clear evidence of an environmental factor in the developed world damaging skin. For the first time we propose benchmark values of diversity against which we can measure skin to determine how healthy it is. This gives us the ability to be able to predict which people are more likely to be prone to skin ailments, and start to test whether cosmetic ingredients and products are a main cause of the skin allergy epidemic.Keywords: biodiversity; skin allergy; benchmark skin health values; effect of synthetic cosmetics on skin; 21st century skin ailments; measure skin health; healthy skin ecosystem; healthy skin bacteria; damaged skin bacteria; perfect skin

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“…), thinleaf alder ( Alnus incana spp . tenuifolia ) and berry‐producing shrubs (Beschta & Ripple, ; Kay, ; Ripple, Beschta, & Painter, ; Wolf, Cooper, & Hobbs, ). Even though willows are multistemmed shrubs, thus likely more resistant to the effects of intensive browsing than the single‐stemmed growth form of young aspen and cottonwood, willow recruitment on the northern range remained exceptionally low during the last half of the 20th century (Figure ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can large carnivores change streams via a trophic cascade?

Beschta

Ripple

2018

Ecohydrology

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Large carnivores were persecuted in Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, leading to extirpation of grey wolves (Canis lupus) and cougars (Puma concolor). Soon thereafter increased herbivory of riparian plant communities by Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus) became widespread in the park's northern ungulate winter range or “northern range.” Wolves were reintroduced in 1995–1996, again completing the park's large carnivore guild. In 2004 and 2017, we sampled Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana), a commonly occurring tall willow, along the West and East Forks of Blacktail Deer Creek in the central portion of the northern range. Results indicated high levels of elk herbivory in the 1990s, as in previous decades, not only continued to keep willows short, generally ≤52 cm in height, but also resulted in stream widening and incision, leading to “oversized” channel cross‐sections and a drastically reduced frequency of overbank flows. However, by 2017, willow heights ≥200 cm ( truex¯ = 310 cm) were prevalent, and canopy cover over the stream, essentially absent in 1995, had increased to 43% and 93% along the West Fork and East Fork, respectively. These recent increases in tall willow heights, greater canopy cover, well‐vegetated streambanks, and the recent development of an inset floodplain all pointed towards a riparian/aquatic ecosystem beginning to recover. Overall, results were consistent with a landscape‐scale trophic cascade, whereby reintroduced wolves, operating in concert with other large carnivores, appear to have sufficiently reduced elk herbivory in riparian areas to initiate the recovery of Blacktail Deer Creek's riparian plant communities and stream channels.

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Berry-producing shrub characteristics following wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

Deer density and plant palatability predict shrub cover, richness, diversity and aboriginal food value in a North American archipelago

Deer density and plant palatability predict shrub cover, richness, diversity and aboriginal food value in a North American archipelago

Meta Analysis of Skin Microbiome: New Link between Skin Microbiota Diversity and Skin Health with Proposal to Use This as a Future Mechanism to Determine Whether Cosmetic Products Damage the Skin

Can large carnivores change streams via a trophic cascade?

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