Oregon Public Broadcasting

Scientists at Oregon State University say the elimination of wolves in Olympic National Park has caused serious damage to the streams there.

In a new report, researchers say the absence of natural predators has allowed large herds of elk to overwhelm the park’s rainforests.

Bill Ripple is a forestry professor at OSU and co-author of the study.

Bill Ripple: “What we found was when the wolves were removed from Olympic National Park back in the early part of the twentieth century, that had a cascading effect on the ecosystem.”

Ripple says the large elk graze on tree seedlings and hold down vegetation, which leads to rapid erosion of riverbanks. 

River channels have become wider and shallower, leaving the steams more exposed to the sun and decreasing their plant and insect life.

Ripple says Yellowstone National Park brought back wolves over a decade ago, leading to healthier trees and streams.

Olympic National Park has considered reintroducing wolves, but so far, no action has been taken.

Wolves were removed from parks across America in the early 1900s because of problems they caused for settlers.