The relationship between man and wolves has always been complicated, and has become in particular in the last two centuries, with real extermination campaigns towards animals considered dangerous for humans and livestock. The United Kingdom has always been one of the places most affected by these massacres: it is from the thirteenth century that the rulers do everything to eradicate the wolves, finally succeeding in the 16th century.
It has been for some time, however, that the invitations to reintroduce them, also for their central role in the shape ecosystems: a new study published on Ecological Solutions and Evidencefor example, suggests that it would be enough report a population of wolves in Scotland to have remarkable ecosystem benefitsand help the regeneration of local forests.
The domain of deer. The native forests in Scotland have been razed to the ground over the centuries because of the timber request; Since then they have not had the opportunity to regenerate, so much so that less than 4% of the country is covered with old forests.
One of the causes of the absence of woods is linked to that of the wolves: since they disappeared from the Highlands about 250 years ago, the deer took possession of the landscape, and since they feed on freshly sprouted saplings prevent them from growing and revived the forests. Hence the idea of reintroducing A population of wolves, which would contribute decisively to giving a little breath to the trees.
A hand from the wolves. The study was conducted starting from a mathematical model that imagined the evolution of the Scottish ecosystem in the event that a vital population of wolves reintroduced: the model says that in a few years their numbers would approach the 200 units, enough from Reduce the density of deer to about 4 specimens per km2.
This in turn would give way to trees to grow and thrive: according to the study, the new woods that would be born would be able to capture one million tons of co2 Every year, that is, about 5% of the entire carbon “budget” that the United Kingdom forests should accumulate according to the reforestation objectives. In short: less than 200 wolves are enough to give an important turning point to ecosystems degraded by deerand promote the growth of new forests.
