Move 1: Establish field or general topic

            The general topic of this scientific essay is how different population numbers of elk as well as amount of vegetation growth are affected by the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. William Ripple and Robert Beschta establish their field in the abstract when they say we “studied…in northeastern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to examine the potential influence of wolf/elk interactions upon plant growth.” They also mention the general topic in their introduction as they explain exactly how they came to begin this experiment.

Move 2: Introduce the specific problem or issue

            Ripple and Beschta experiment involved a problem caused by overgrazing Elk that was preventing vegetation growth in the area of the park. Since wolves weren’t controlling the Elk population, they created an experiment to test whether Elk and wolf interactions (or other herbivore interactions) would affect the growth of cottonwood and other vegetation. When they state their purpose, they tell the reader what the general issue it. However, when they say, vegetation “has been unable to successfully regenerate over extended periods of time in various forest and range landscapes of the western United States,” they introduce the “bigger issue.”

Move 3: Define the scope of the problem or issue by summarizing previous research

            Both scientists use previous research and analyze previous finding in their introduction. They do this when they say, “research on trophic cascades involves studying the effects of predators across successively lower trophic levels…two theories of predator-prey relationships have been reported…” Both researchers came to realize that biodiversity among the ecosystems of Yellowstone National Park became more balanced when wolves were reintroduced.

Move 4: Create a research space by:

• Addressing a gap in previous research (other variables that could have affected the experiment such as weather conditions) They do this in their introduction.
• Offering an extension for further research to expand finding to see whether or not the weather conditions affect vegetation growth in YNP. This would help eliminate other variables that could have led to inaccurate data and findings in the past. They do this primarily in their discussion (the bigger picture).

Move 5: Introduce present research by:

• Stating the aim of the research- Clearly identifying their purpose and hypothesis in the experiment (to see how wolf reintroduction would affect the ecosystems in the area including vegetation growth). They do this in their abstract and introduction.
• Describing the research- Explaining the research by giving details on each of their findings (they do this in their results section through the use of charts and photographs).  This explains their methods, variables and controls in their experiment.
• Justifying the research- Explaining the bigger picture in order to put their research intro perspective by drawing conclusions (they do this in their discussion and conclusion section).

            I think their process of analyzing their findings was extremely detailed. I think this is what researchers need to do especially when their findings could potentially affect other ecosystems and wildlife. They justified their finding well and I think they presented them in an accurate, convincing way for other scientists. I think the data they included in their results and discussion made their study more valid.