Wolves’ Return to Yellowstone Brings Back Aspen Trees After 80-Year Absence
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Aspen saplings are growing tall and broad in Yellowstone National Park for the first time in 80 years, thanks to the ecological balance restored by the reintroduction of gray wolves in 1995.
📈 One key stat: Scientists found a 152-fold increase in aspen saplings between the wolves’ return and 2020, demonstrating how a single keystone species can dramatically restore ecosystem health.
💬 One key quote: “The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades. This is a remarkable case of ecological restoration,” says Painter in a statement.
1️⃣ The big picture: For the first time in over eight decades, young quaking aspen trees are thriving in northern Yellowstone National Park. This unexpected recovery is directly linked to the return of gray wolves, which were reintroduced to the park in 1995 after being eliminated in the 1930s. Without wolves, elk populations had exploded to around 17,000 by 1995, and these herbivores constantly ate emerging aspen sprouts, preventing forest regeneration. Now, as wolves have naturally reduced elk numbers, Oregon State University researchers have documented significant aspen growth in areas that had been barren of new trees for generations.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The resurgence of aspen trees represents a textbook example of a trophic cascade, where the return of a top predator creates positive ripple effects throughout the ecosystem. By 2020, 43% of sampled sites contained young trees with substantial trunk diameter—something unseen since the 1940s. These recovering forests provide crucial habitat for woodpeckers, wrens, and other small creatures that make homes in aspen cavities. Beaver populations also benefit, as they prefer aspens when building dams. The success story demonstrates nature’s resilience when ecological balance is restored, showing how targeted conservation efforts can reverse decades of ecosystem degradation.
3️⃣ What’s next: Scientists will continue monitoring the forest recovery to track long-term ecological changes throughout Yellowstone. More research could help identify other areas where predator reintroduction might restore degraded landscapes. The findings provide a valuable case study for conservation managers considering similar ecosystem restoration approaches in other regions.
Read the full story here: Good News Network – Hefty Aspen Saplings Not Seen in Yellowstone NP for 80 Years Attributed to Wolves’ Return
