Biology in History Linking Woives and Piants: Aido Leopold on Tropiiic Cascades

Ahio Leopold, perhaps best known for his revolutioruiry ami poignant essays about nature, was also an eloquent advocate during the 1930$ and 1940s oj the need to maintain wolves and other targe carnivores in forest and range ecosystems. He indicated that their loss set the stage for ungulate irruptions and ecosystem damage througbout many parts of the United States. We have synthesized the historical record on the potential effects of wolf extirpation in the context of recent research. Leopold's work of decades ago provides an important perspective for understanding the influence of targe carnivores, via trophic cascades, on tbe status and functioning of forest and range plant communities. Leopold's personal experiences during an era oj extensive biotic changes add richness, credibility, and even intrigue to tbe view that present-day interactions betvi^een ungulates and plants in the United States have been driven to a large degree by the extirpation of wolves and other large carnivores.