Yellowstone wolves that once roamed freely have declined in numbers. Wolves are key species in their ecosystem. A keystone species is an animal that, if lost, creates problems in an ecosystem. Yellowstone was created to set aside beautiful land and protect the animals found there. Yellowstone's wolves should be protected from hunting and human interference. Wolves live in packs with their families roaming large areas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Wolves live in an area for most of the year where they can hunt elk and moose. They move up and down mountains in search of prey. In winter, they partially migrate to find food. From January to February, they mate. Wolves' habits are primarily based on their eating habits. Being a keystone species, wolves, as predators, directly affect what they eat. Wolves eat elk and moose when they are in abundance, but they will also eat smaller prey like rabbits. As moose populations grow out of control, they graze the land and devour useful plants. Yellowstone wolves, when reintroduced, reduced the population sizes of their prey in much the same way as wolves on an island: "wolf restoration will have similar effects to some extent, reducing density elk and coyotes” (McCafferty, Predator and Prey). Wolves affect the population density of elk and moose. Moose populations show the evolution of wolf populations, which have fluctuated over the years. Yellowstone wolves are endangered and have been reintroduced to Yellowstone. Wolves live in a variable climate, part of which is covered in snow. This means they have large, full coats. Fur hunters and trappers have been enjoying this lush fur for hundreds of years. The fur trade has been around for years, since the beginnings of America. The fur trade caused wolf populations to decline for years. Hunting was banned to allow wolf populations to recover. In recent years, wolf hunting has been permitted again: “gray wolves in the northern Rockies were removed from the endangered species list and became legal game for the first time in decades” (McCafferty Predator and proy). Wolves have returned in numbers, but hunting isn't the only thing preventing wolves from fully returning. Wolves need large spaces to move around in winter. Humans have carved up this space into houses, ranches, farms, highways and cities. Wolves are in the same domain as humans: “Whatever the reasons, humans are at war with wolves. This is an ancient conflict over territory and food between their clans and ours, and its battlefield stretches across the northern Rocky Mountain states and to the doorstep of my isolated cabin near of Glacier National Park in Montana. A young woman named Diane marked the spot by peeing on the porch mat. Major highways from Yellowstone to Canada divide the breeding grounds of elk, bears and wolves. Major highways are not easy passages for these animals. Passing cars cross 6 lanes in both directions, making it impossible to cross these roads. Animals crossing are hit by cars and cause major accidents. THEcountry is not easy for these animals either. Farmers let their cows and other animals graze and these animals are easy prey. They are forced to stay in enclosures and have no chance of escaping wolves and coyotes. Farmers, in order to protect their livelihoods, kill wolves that encroach on their territory. Since the reintroduction of wolves, the problem has gotten worse. Farmers have to monitor their animals more than before. The houses next to these farms also fear for their safety. Wolves eat their pets and terrorize their children. Wolves are just returning to territory known hundreds of years ago. Wolves, as a keystone species in Yellowstone, affect the environment around them. Wolves control other populations. Wolves eat elk and moose. Elk and moose are grazing animals. They eat grasses, berries and other plants that grow on the ground. These large animals consume large quantities of food over the course of their lives. Without wolves pushing them into other territories, these animals will overgraze. When they overgraze, they don't just remove the plant species they take with other animals. Birds won't have a place to roost if their trees can't pollinate because their fruit has been eaten by overgrazing moose and elk. Rabbits will be eaten by hawks in greater quantities because their cover has been eaten away. Mice and other small rodents suffer the same fate. The disappearance of these animals also poses a problem for humans. Yellowstone was a land set aside for nature conservation. This preserved territory is there to be observed: “Today, wolves help maintain a natural balance in the northern Rockies by forcing elk to vary their grazing habits, allowing crucial riverbank vegetation to remain robust ; and controlling the coyote population, which in turn benefits the pronghorn and red fox” (Albu, Wolf Pact). If the wolves die off, there won't be any wolves to see when people visit Yellowstone. Overgrazing will also be a problem for visitors. The beautiful flowers will have been mowed down by the abundance of elk. There will be fewer birds because they will not be able to eat the seeds of plants and trees. Moose are also large animals that could crush a car if hit by it. Wolves control elk, which helps preserve Yellowstone's beauty. If the wolves are not saved, there will be consequences. The main impact on wolves is humans. Humans are expanding and encroaching on animals’ territory. Every year for thousands of years, the human population has increased exponentially, requiring more and more land. As humans take over more land, they limit the amount of land available to other animals. Humans also need transportation from one place to another, which is why they build roads and highways that divide large areas of land. The wolves participated in several plans to help them. Wolves were first studied for long periods of time. The first studies began to trap them. These early studies provided researchers with data to compare to see trends in wolf population density. Wolves have been placed on the endangered species list due to a significant and measurable decline in their population. They were bred in captivity and moved within Yellowstone to increase population density to.