Yellowstone Ecosystem Food Web
Terrestrial
Temperate Coniferous Forests
Northwestern United States — Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho
Description
Yellowstone's food web was famously transformed by the reintroduction of gray wolves in 1995, demonstrating a powerful trophic cascade. Wolves reduced elk overgrazing, allowing riparian vegetation to recover, which stabilized stream banks and benefited beavers and songbirds. This interconnected system spans alpine meadows, coniferous forests, and geothermal areas.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Mycorrhizal fungi
Bark beetles
Soil bacteria
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Gray wolf
Grizzly bear
Mountain lion
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Coyote
Red fox
Black bear
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Elk
Bison
Mule deer
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Lodgepole pine
Willows
Aspen
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Gray wolves regulate elk populations through predation
- Elk herbivory shapes willow and aspen regeneration along rivers
- Grizzly bears feed on cutthroat trout, whitebark pine nuts, and elk calves
- Ravens and magpies scavenge wolf kills