Chapter 31.6, Problem 1CSR

Before 1700, wolves roamed over almost all of North America; coyotes were found mostly west of the Mississippi. White-tailed deer lived throughout the eastern half of the continent. In the eastern United States, most of the land was covered with coniferous or deciduous forests. When Europeans arrived, they cleared most of the forests, planted crops, raised livestock, and exterminated the wolves. Based on what you have learned in this chapter and its Case Study, what do you think happened to the populations of coyotes and white-tailed deer between 1700 and now. in terms of their range and abundance, and to the types of vegetation in much of the eastern states (outside of cities, suburbs, and farms)? Why?