Let nature take its course

It is a common misconception that predators are bad because they feed off of other animals for their own survival. However without the top predators doing so the prey has nothing to keep breeding and population sizes in check. The natural world is very similar in structure to our very own government. It is divided into different branches, each are monitored and limited in power due to checks and balances. In the video shown in class we saw some of the damage done when the checks and balances are disrupted. In Yellowstone National Park the Wolf was eradicated due to the belief that it was killing far too many elk and bison. However after they were no longer around a new problem reared its head. Without the wolf to keep the bison and elk populations in check they rapidly reproduced and were soon very over populated. It wasn't until their return decades later that we saw what large changes that one species can make when reintroduced. Not only were the bison and elk populations under control once again, but many other species flourished from there return. In example the trees that the elk once fed on making them small due to overpopulation, were allowed to flourish once again. And because of that the birds home was inhabitable again allowing many species to return and populate these areas. Far more examples were shown in the video however the overall message was loud and clear just as it was in Silent Spring in the chapter “Nature Fights Back.” If we disrupt the natural order we are more likely to cause far more damage than we are good. Which leads me to the conclusion that the old saying “Let nature run its course,” is far more reliable and useful than I believed it once was as a child sick in bed with those as the only consoling words from my mother.