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Performance Task

Thrown to the Wolves

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Yellowstone Wolf Reintroduction

Yellowstone Wolf Reintroduction

As a researcher, you want to understand how the number of wolves in Yellowstone impacts the population of the northern Yellowstone elk herd. You conduct 10 surveys of the populations over several years. The results are shown in the table.

Explore several different models that relate the populations. Then decide which model best represents the situation. Explain how you chose the best model. Then summarize how the number of wolves impacts the elk herd population.


table of populations of Wolves (132, 148, 174, 171, 118, 171, 96, 97, 98, 83) relative to Northern Yellowstone elk herd (13,400, 11,950, 9,100, 8,400, 9,600, 7,100, 6,050, 4,800, 4,150).

Did You Know?

  • Wolves are highly social animals and live in packs. In Yellowstone National Park, the average pack size is 10. Packs defend their territory from other packs by howling and scent marking with urine. 
  • Wolves efficiently hunt large and small animals. In Yellowstone National Park, 90% of their winter prey is elk.
  • Wolves are not normally a danger to humans. No wolf has attacked a human in Yellowstone National Park, but a few attacks have happened other places.

Find Out More – Search Topics

  • Wolves in Yellowstone
  • Gray wolves