[The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2018)]
Kim Todd’s article “The Island Wolves” discusses the history of wolves and moose on Isle Royale National park. Scientists began to study the wolves' impact on the ecosystem on the island. They believed their research was free from human intervention. However, the research findings help reshape experts' understandings of wolves and human involvement in balancing ecosystems.
Todd states that the main lesson of Isle Royale is that “the future is unpredictable” because no management decision can predict how things will turn out (95). The study leads scientists to question their research methods and possible new methods as they search for balance on the island.
What did you view as particularly interesting or important about the article, and why?
48 comments:
I found two things to be particularly interesting about this article. The first thing being how different the results of the observations of the wolves throughout the years of the study were. Especially the wolf named Ferocious Warrior beating the odds of surviving her attack and going on to take over a big portion of the Island and reproducing. The second thing being the point of how unpredictable things can be and no matter how much we think a predictable pattern will continue that pattern could be broken at any time.
- Alexis S.
The thing that surprised me most about this article was that specific wolves seem to be just as important, if not more important to the rise and fall of populations than the group as a whole. Todd states that, "Maybe there's value in discussing Big Jim, Old Gray Guy, and Ferocious Warrior, in looking at the impact of specific personalities, as much as there's value in searching for universal models". We are so used to looking at the big picture, that we miss some of the important details.
Marina T.
What I found to be the most interesting in the article, "The Island Waters" was how much the Isle Royale study was able to discover. For example, the author states, "...over its lifetime, has shown all kinds of unexpected things, including information about the effect of diet on arthritis and evidence of decline in mercury pollution documented through moose teeth"(Todd,93). I would have never thought you could determine mercury pollution from discarded moose teeth, but it made me wonder if you could detect other environmental toxins such as lead through this method.
Madalynn M.
The thing I found most interesting was the fact that researchers admitted to the fact that regardless of how long they observe animals they will never be able to predict their behaviors with absolute certainty. This spontaneity could discourage them from doing this work; however, they understand and continue to prove that any information that is collected is valuable to begin understanding tendencies. The second thing I found it interesting is how dependent upon one another wolves are in nature it shows the strength of connection that exist within a pack; also how the energy between different packs of wolves is almost comparable to "gang mentality". This was interesting to read about because in all of the ways that these wolves may be similar as a species, their family/loved ones force them to make sharp distinctions between themselves and other beings like them.
-Zaria W.
I found it interesting in the article how the Isle Royale study had shown lots of unexpected things. One in particular was information on the effect of diet on arthritis and evidence of a decline in mercury pollution through moose teeth (Orion 93). That is interesting because I have never heard of such documentation based off of an animal's teeth.
This article was interesting because it discussed the nature of ecosystems and how predators and prey form a relationship. According to Todd, Isle Royale National Park was a closed system with the wolf being the dominant predator and the moose as the prey (85). This is interesting when compared to humans, an apex predator with the option of any animal for consumption if desired. Usually, in nature, the predator cannot kill too many prey because they will risk running out of food. However, humans may have become too advanced to the point of playing "god" by breeding populations of animals to kill for consumption. In 2020, the United States has killed 4.3 billion animals and it is not the end of January. I do not believe all animal lives are equivalent to human lives (because insects are animals also), but humans have an excess of food to the point that nearly half of the US population is becoming obese. -Justin J
The importance of trends was very interesting to me in this article. It seemed like the significance of some named wolves, such as Ferocious warrior represented wolves of packs that survived. I received more enforcement on the ideology of survival of the fittest. But with every great group or nation, there is always a downfall. There are unpredictable external things that also affect the trends of which specific wolves or even other species survive.
Thomas Siganga
It was interesting that the East Pack killed Prince Charming for eating a moose calf, because it shows that the pack remembered how their population dropped from eating moose as the moose population decreased. It illustrated how even wolves learn from history like humans do. Despite the strength of Prince Charming as he helped kill two alpha males, the pack stayed true to their rule of not eating moose, and punished him for breaking that rule. It was also interesting that Old Gray Guy would mate with his daughter, which was his second mate, and then she mated with her son.
-Samantha A.
What I found to be most interesting about the article was the relationship between predator and prey. Of course there needs to be a balance in nature,but I never realized just how that balance works. Ut's always shocking to me to hear when the prey need the predator just as much as the predator needs the prey. The fact that predators keep a group of prey healthy and thriving is a thought that never really occurred to me, but it is a prime example of natural selection.
-Mackenzie Cohoon
I find it interesting how humans disrupted the ecosystem of this lone island. In a way, it's saddening to read that the moose (who have been at peace for decades) are now being terrorized by these wolves. This was not what Mother Nature intended. On the flip side, I understand the decision to put the wolves on the island. Of course it is the humans' fault for hunting them and significantly dwindling their numbers. Regardless how one looks at it, the humans are at fault for what this island has become and I am not impressed by it in the slightest.
Brandon N
What I found interesting about the article was how the biologists were unaware of Old Gray Guy's arrival and death. Old Gray Guy essentially revived the dying wolf population on the island and took over the island for years, and then died without the biologists' knowledge (93). This shows that scientists cannot completely predict what can occur within their experiments.
-Kyla T.
The most interesting part of the story to me was just how similar wolves could be to humans. Staging coups and warring are things I believed only humans did. To see this kind of violence also present in animals makes me wonder if it could be in certain animal's nature to be violent. Maybe a certain level of violent tendencies are necessary for predatory animals.
-Linda H.
What i find most interesting in this article is the interaction between human and nature. The article outlines how human constantly disrupts the natural functioning of nature. while someone managed to set the wolves in a area where they could leave safely without being fearful of guns and other tools that would take their lives away, another one is simply preoccupied about putting them in cages for amusement display.
-Geonel M.
When reading the article the thing that I found to be most interesting, that no matter how much data the scientist collected & analyzed the wolves always seemed to do something that spewed it drastically.For instance, in the text it states, "It's like a big historical novel. Every 5-year period looks completely unlike any of the previous 5-year periods, and the dynamics are driven by external events that we cannot imagine let alone predict" (pg.88).
I think this just goes to show that no much how one tries to capture, analyze, and predict events that occur when nature, it can't be done entirely. There are elements in nature that are unpredictable beyond our realm of thought that really shape the reality of the environment. More than anything from the text, I think it is extremely interesting to note that other creatures are just like humans in regards to their unpredictable nature and seemingly intelligent prowess.
-Caleb Abernathy
The most important thing to me was that they didn't stop trying to observe. On page 93-4, it says they discovered lots of unexpected things. "But when scientists were finally able to track genes, it was as though a map was pulled back to reveal another map underneath, one with unimaginable mountains and strange rivers." This shows that no matter what it may seem, if you keep at it, eventually you will get something in return and that what they found could be valuable in one way or another.
Crystal R.
The most important thing to me was that they didn't stop trying to observe. On page 93-4, it says they discovered lots of unexpected things. "But when scientists were finally able to track genes, it was as though a map was pulled back to reveal another map underneath, one with unimaginable mountains and strange rivers." This shows that no matter what it may seem, if you keep at it, eventually you will get something in return and that what they found could be valuable in one way or another.
Crystal R.
Something that I found very interesting was the quote 'it's like a big historical novel. Every 5-year period looks completely unlike any of the previous..." (88). This may seem obvious to some, but is it really that obvious. We have studies and research that has evolved because of all the patterns that exist around us. We notice things that are similar and question why. That is the basis of science. So the idea that we could predict pattern in something like this is not unfathomable. Yet when we do not see a pattern or any discernible feature from one year to the next, it is kind of mind-boggling to think otherwise.
I really enjoyed this article. I am interested in articles regarding nature . This article was interesting to see just how easily an ecosystem can change in years. Human interaction can truly change an environment for better and for worse. In this instance Moose had no predators on this island until human interaction. I learned a lot about nature from this article.
I really enjoyed this article. I am interested in articles regarding nature . This article was interesting to see just how easily an ecosystem can change in years. Human interaction can truly change an environment for better and for worse. In this instance Moose had no predators on this island until human interaction. I learned a lot about nature from this article.
One thing I found to be very interesting was that scientists can trend mercury pollution's decline via discarded moose teeth (Orion 93).
Another piece of the article that intrigued me was that wolves seem to have memory and a code of ethics which they uphold. This is what it seemed to me when the East Pack killed Prince Charming for eating a baby moose. It also revealed a sort of human separation as the wolves made distinctions between themselves and those even of a similar species.
Something that I found interesting in the article was how the article showed how often wolf and moose population would change based on unpredictable factors. On page 96, the article stated "what if nature is a little more like human history? When the Berlin Wall fell, when the Soviet Union collapsed, no one predicted that." I found it interesting how the article related human behavior to the changing nature of other species and how unpredictable events can easily change the behavior and/or population of certain species.
I love animals and it was interesting to learn more about the behaviors of wolves and how they had a code of ethics. it was also interesting on learning how easily an ecosystem can adapt and change. It is also nice to know that animals can be unpredictable just like humans are known to be.
Breann W.
One thing I found quite interesting in this article was how scientists could study animals and their interactions with nature for years, yet their findings can always be unsupported by new observations. Science is essentially involved with trying to make sense of the world around us when, in reality, everything isn't meant to be understood by our human minds.
It was explained early in the passage how unpredictable the cycle of the wolf population is every 5 years due to unforeseen events. One of those events is described on page 88, "...an infected dog from Chicago, brought in illegally on a private boat, had carried canine parvovirus to the island. No pups survived that year...". I found it interesting how such small details could impact the balance of such a critical ecosystem.
This article was very interesting. The Island of Waters explained the use of differing items, some very much unexpected, such as moose teeth, to determine a decline in mercury pollution. Yet it was also very interesting to know the fact that although researchers have found a lot of cool things to measure their behavior and gain knowledge, they will never be able to predict their actions with full certainty. This was quite cool to learn and read about because you got to learn about the relationships between predator and prey.
Within the text, the author mentions multiple influences that may impact the fluctuation of moose and wolf population. One theory that I hear fairly often, not even pertaining to this exact case, was the idea of natural selection. It interests me because this theory is used to explain population growth for many species of living creatures.
The overall article was very interesting, and it's hard to choose only one interesting or important topic. However, the human intervention section was particularly interesting to me because it made me realize how humans may do more harm than they realize. We make predictions based off of graphs and previous observations, then we execute actions based off of those predictions. But unexpected events take place that can make the situation worse than before.
Zuriah H.
In this article there were a lot of things that were interesting. The relationship between predator and prey is important. Understanding that we can't have the predator without then prey
Tara T.
Something that I found interesting while reading this article was the fact that they studied this Isle Royale for so long and found out many things about the animals there. " ...Including information about the effect of diet on arthritis and evidence of a decline in mercury pollution documented through moose teeth" (Todd 93). After this quote they go on to talk about how DNA is a whole different aspect in the fact that there are so many layers to the history. I found this so intriguing because I've never been one to care for research or ever really do research and I think it is amazing what can be found just by looking at bones or hair of different species.
Kelsey McNeil
The most interesting part for me is on page 87 when Wilson explains the balance between prey and predator. He explains how having wolves as predators keep the moose from being overpopulated. This keeps the now predators the moose from eating too much grass on the island causing vegetation to stay in healthy condition. This was so interesting because this explains humans being the top predator affects other predators and our prey. This also makes me think how our prey is the Earth and we keep preying on it with pollution and harvesting causing it to become unhealthy.
One thing I found particularly interesting was the wolf that beat all odds and ended up reproducing and taking over most of the population of the pack. This shows how unpredictable science can be and even though evidence would support one main outcome, nature can favor the alternative.
Jovahna Williams
I found the similarity between humans and wolves to be the most interesting part of this article. Just as our lives are full of interesting stories and constant unpredictability, so are the lives of wolves and other animals. Their lives involve wars, social hierarchies, and other unexpected events that make them as complex and interesting as humans.
-Isaiah J.
The most interesting part of the article for me was on page 88 where it stated, “an infected dog from Chicago, brought in illegally on a private boat, had carried canine parvovirus to the island. No pups survived that year and the wolves had not entirely bounced back”. That reminded me of how the spread of infection can travel so rapidly for humans and can cause a lot of harm, but we don’t think about how it harms entire ecosystems.
From the reading of "The Island Wolves" by Kim Todd. this quote is most interesting, "The DNA tests showed that Isle Royale was not an isolated lab at all. It was just another part of the messy, complex world" (93). I interpreted this quote as the DNA of the Isle Royale environment shifts and changes constantly. The very history of Isle Royale sheds light on how its DNA has evolved and adapted over time due to the constantly changing numbers of animals.
I found the information on page 89 to be extremely interesting. The author writes, " the idea of a balance in nature is at least as old as Herodotus, the Greek historian, who tried to understand why prey animals weren't entirely consumed." I think its interesting that people have been studying animals and ecosystems for such a long time.
-Jada Baker
The most interesting component of the story was the topic about the wolf being predicted to die but went on to live past the time that was predicted for her to stay alive. The thing that makes this part so intriguing is the fact that it is assumed that one thing will happen, but in reality it does not. It serves to show how we, as humans, may think one event will go such way, when in actuality, we are really not sure what may happen in the future.
-Ronald Akpan
This article by Kim Todd interested me very much. One quote that stuck out to me was on page 88. The quote reads, "An infected dog from Chicago, brought in illegally on a private boat, had carried canine parvovirus to the island." I immediately thought of the recent breakout of the coronavirus in humans. This statement as well as a few others through out the reading really solidifies the similarities we have with other animal species. Just like how a disease can breakout in humans, other animals can face a decline in population from disease as well.
-Jasmyn Kloster
One thing I found interesting about this article was the concept of repeating patterns. Patterns do repeat in all aspects of life whether it's with numbers, biological patterns across many organisms, or what we do from day to day as a species. However, these patterns can be broken, as well. There is not a defined rigidity in life that defines anything or anyone, and changes can always be made.
From the reading I liked how the author was able to relate the wolves and moose to the things that happen to the human population. In the article it mentions how the population would fluctuate based on unknown facts. One quote that I thought was really interesting was “an infected dog from Chicago, brought in illegally on a private boat, had carried canine parvovirus to the island. No pups survived that year and the wolves had not entirely bounced back”. This very same spread of disease can happen to humans as well.
I think the thing that interested me the most in this article was seeing how the population of wolves and moose changed throughout the entire article. This article really shows that there are animals out there that depend on another animal and if that animal doesn't thrive and make it then there is also a decrease in the original animal. It was also interesting to see how inviting new things or animals effects a population. Like when they Brough an infected dog illegally and brought the parvovirus to the island (pg.88). It was interesting to see how one thing can effect several different populations of animals.
-Ivyanne B
I think it is very interesting the effect humans can have on ecosystems. Depending on how humans act, they can either positively or negatively be affecting other animal populations. For example, the humans negatively affected the moose population who previously didn't have any predators. While the humans positively affected wolf populations by providing them prey.
Fatima Bashir
What I found both interesting and important is how they described wolf behavior. “An accident in a mine; the spread of a mutant virus; a stranger coming into town; a survivor left for dead, beating the odds and flourishing; a dynasty overthrown. We know those stories; we just don’t think of them in terms of wolves.” This article shows how intelligent animals can be in their natural habitat. It sheds light on the human like aspect of the animal kingdom. The way the wolves were depicted when describing these stories shows the intellect of these wolves.
What I found most interesting about this article is learning more about why nature is unpredictable. It leaves so much room for learning, even the balance in nature is not fully known yet as well. When people try to pinpoint why predators are not able to extinct prey, there were many different thoughts that seemed really interesting to me.
The most interesting part of the reading was learning about how important wolves are in the ecosystem and witnessing a little bit of their everyday lives. You hear alot of gorillas and their habitat,but you never get a chance to hear about how wolves hunt, protect their prey,and how smart they are. This article shed light on that and also how animal life is sometimes unpredictable. I also thought everything could be predicted by studying and observing a pattern, but like the author said, " Every five year period looks completely unlike any of the previous" (88).
What I viewed as particularly interesting about this article was on page 84 when it discussed the Bone Garden. This was a bit intriguing to me because I had never heard of such thing. Also the fact that they had the bones lined up and labels when they wolf had died and how it did. I’m assuming the timing of death would have something to do with what they are finding or looking for when the look at the bones. It was interesting to know that there is such a thing as a bone garden.
The thing that I viewed as particularly interesting about this article was the effect that humans have on the the natural balance of the ecosystem. On page 86 it says, " When brought to the island in August 1952, the zoo wolves didn't know how to behave. Instead of chasing down moose, they chewed up fishing nets, raided laundry lines, and hung out near the Rock Harbor Lodge." This is interesting because we often have animals living in zoos who become more domesticated, to the point where they would not survive in the wild. It's just something not many people think about.
One thing that I found interesting was the impact the one lone wolf made on the wolf population. On page 88 it talks about how the wolves were dying because of their scarce food supply and one wolf came in and took over. This wolf helped the population rise again and expand to other areas.
-Brandy Collier
God is supposed to be the root of kindness and purity,so you would think that his will would consist of only acts of purity and kindness . On page 89, it says "why was this violent, unending cycle part of the divine plan?". Coincidentally, I find myself asking a variation of this question: "why would this happen to me if God is my protector?". It was just cool to read that I'm not the only one wondering why there has to be a balance of good and bad or why evil even exists to begin with.
-Ronald Allen
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