Fur traders introduced Arctic foxes across Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to produce pelts; by killing seabirds, the foxes helped turn lush grasslands into tundra
The foxes reduced seabird populations, which meant less nutrient-rich guano reached the islands. Arctic foxes introduced to more than 400 Alaskan islands for fur changed far more than the local wildlife. According to a study published in journal Science, by preying on seabirds, they disrupted the flow of nutrients from the ocean to land and…
