The reintroduction of grey wolves in the Scottish Highlands would create a beneficial “landscape of fear” that would prevent red deer from severely overgrazing the region, according to a new study. U.S. and Australian researchers studied the beneficial ecological effects of the reintroduction of grey wolves in
Yellowstone National park in the 1990s and concluded that bringing wolves back to the Highlands would be equally salutary. Scotland’s grey wolves were extirpated by hunting 250 years ago, and without fear of predators the red deer — a species of elk — have badly overgrazed the hills and valleys, leading to a sharp reduction in tree species such as Scots pine and birch. In Yellowstone, the scientists found that the return of gray wolves kept elk from overgrazing many areas, leading to the regrowth of aspens, willows, and cottonwood trees. That, in turn, has led to a resurgence in bird and beaver populations. A co-author of the paper, to be published in the journal Biological Conservation, said “we want to broaden the discussion not just to the intrinsic value of the wolves but to the ecological effects.”