Large Animals Affecting Climate Change

NORTHRIDGE, CA - Studies this month show that large herbivores can help climate change mitigation and adaptation by grazing and walking. When the large animals step on vegetation, they create open mixes of grass, shrubs or trees.

Picture credit, Pixababy/CC0 Public Domain.

Them walking on the vegetation helps maintain and increase carbon stocks in the soil. This can also reveal snow covered ground in polar ecosystems.

In temperate, tropical and subtropical regions, large mammals minimize forest and bush fires.

A recent study from "Current Biology" explores the roles of large animals in preserving ecosystems and fighting climate change.

"Conservation efforts usually focus on either trees and carbon or the broad conservation appeal of large animals. This study looked at whether it was possible to align these agendas," says professor Yadvinder Malhi, at the University of Oxford.

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When large herbivores graze they drop seeds, clear vegetation and fertilize soil. This creates more resilient ecosystems by resisting damage and recovering quickly.

Underwater wildlife has an impact on the climate's atmosphere.

In marine ecosystems, whales along with other large animals fertilize phytoplankton.

Phytoplankton capture an estimate of 37-billion tons of CO2 each year and release particles into the air which seeds clouds and reflect sunlight into the atmosphere.

It is important to protect large animal wildlife so that these actions done by them can be effective.

Many elephants have been killed throughout the years by poachers for their ivory. While rhinoceros are on the verge of extinction.

Audio - A brief explanation of the effect large animals is having on climate change.

By, Micah Hall

Contributions, Phys dot Org

Photo, Pixababy/CC0 Public Domain, Phys dot Org

Audio, Micah Hall