And as is often the case with science, here's another more recent study (2015, vs 2010 cited in the NY Times piece) which largely confirms the prior results noting Aspen regrowth.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/14-0712.1/abstrac...

The NY Times opinion piece is clickbaity for its absolutist declaration that the prior studies are untrue, based on one new study.

Went into that article ready to argue, but I had to quote this line from it:

"But by insisting that wolves fixed a broken Yellowstone, we distract attention from the area’s many other important conservation challenges. The warmest temperatures in 6,000 years are changing forests and grasslands. Fungus and beetle infestations are causing the decline of whitebark pine. Natural gas drilling is affecting the winter ranges of migratory wildlife. To protect cattle from disease, our government agencies still kill many bison that migrate out of the park in search of food. And invasive lake trout may be wreaking more havoc on the ecosystem than was ever caused by the loss of wolves."

Great read, thank you for posting!