When it comes to helping mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon, flora rather than fauna usually comes to mind.
When it comes to helping mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon, flora rather than fauna usually comes to mind. A new study published in Current Biology now explores the role of large wild animals in restoring ecosystems and battling climate change.
Professor Yadvinder Malhi, Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, said:
‘Conservation efforts usually focus on either trees and carbon or the broad conservation appeal of large mammals. This study looked at whether it was possible to align these agendas – under what context could protecting and restoring large animal wildlife help us tackle and adapt to climate change.’
The researchers highlighted three key eco-touchpoints where large animals such as elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, whales, bison, and moose had the greatest potential to mitigate climate change: carbon stocks, albedo (the ability of surfaces to reflect solar radiation (energy from the sun) and fire regimes.
When they graze, large herbivores disperse seeds, clear vegetation and fertilise the soil, which helps build more complex and more resilient ecosystems. These activities can maintain and increase carbon stocks in the soil, roots and above-ground parts of plants, helping to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
Read more at: University of Oxford
Photo Credit: cocoparisienne via Pixabay
