# Does restoring apex predators to food webs restore ecosystems? Large carnivores in <scp>Y</scp>ellowstone as a model system

*PRI Rank #10 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Botany and Plant Ecology Studies Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/botany-and-plant-ecology-studies/2026/rank-10*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #10 |
| 18m citations | 24 |
| Journal | Ecological Monographs |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1002/ecm.1598 |
| Corresponding authors | N. Thompson Hobbs |
| Institution | Colorado State University, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Botany and Plant Ecology Studies Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/botany-and-plant-ecology-studies/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1002/ecm.1598](https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1598)

## Topics

apex predator restoration · gray wolves (Canis lupus) · cougars (Felis concolor) · grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) · Yellowstone National Park northern range · alternative stable states · trophic cascades · elk (Cervus canadensis) browsing · willows (Salix spp.) · beavers (Castor canadensis) · willow-beaver mutualism · ecosystem engineering · riparian plant communities · food web restoration · factorial experiment with simulated beaver dams · browsing exclusion · ecosystem resilience · large herbivore guild · willow height suppression · food web modification

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Botany and Plant Ecology Studies Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/botany-and-plant-ecology-studies/2026. Accessed 2026-07-15.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```