Of Wolves

and Trees

The extermination of wolves in Yellowstone National

Park had unforeseen effects on the park’s ecosystem.

Can the return of this top predator restore order?

◆ (^) Explain the concept of an ecological community and how it relates to ecological
diversity.
◆ (^) Articulate the role of relative species abundance and species richness in defining
ecological diversity.
◆ (^) Distinguish between a food chain and a food web.
◆ (^) Illustrate how the removal of a keystone species disrupts an ecological community.
◆ (^) Describe the four major kinds of species interactions, and give an example of each.
◆ (^) Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession.
After reading this chapter you should be able to: