During the last ice-ageA period of reduction in Earth’s temperature of between about 4–7 degrees that resulted in the rapid expansion of ice sheets and glaciation of much of the …
Animal ImpactAustraliaBiodiversity processesBirdsConservation principlesRewildingWhy animals are important
A single lyrebird moves 350 tonnes of soil a year
Lyrebirds will make a few appearances in my forthcoming book. Mostly because they are are an outstanding and visible indicator of animal impact and the origin of most of the …
Animal ImpactBiodiversity processesBirdsFood securityNature-based SolutionsRarityRewildingSustainability
Using species’ potential range as an indicator of conservation importance
A new paper published in the journal Ecological Indicators proposes that we use indices of species’ potential range to inform conservation status (Mason et al, 2021). Findings like these should …
Animal ImpactBiodiversity processesChaos reductionClimate stabilityConservation principlesFood securityMegafaunaNature-based SolutionsRewilding
Biodiversity Conservation and the Earth System
A recent paper published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution sets out the increasing evidence that loss of large vertebrates in particular, is having massive impacts on ecosystem processes. The …
New research shows the impact of climate change on forests is to “scramble the biological clock of the forest floor“. The study shows how the change in timing of various …
Animal ImpactBiodiversity processesBirdsConservation principlesFood securityGrasslandInvertebratesMegafaunaMigrationNature-based SolutionsRewildingWhy animals are important
Addressing the rapid decline of insects means having more insect-eating birds
The life-histories of insects and vertebrates are coupled. Predator and prey cannot exist without one-another. Species richness is higher in systems with predators [1] because they perform a function of …
Under the heading “Boy, 7, is rushed to hospital in a serious condition after a suspected shark attack at a beach south of Melbourne”, the UK’s Daily Mail reported a …
Climate models routinely overlook biodiversity and animal impacts. So, when scientists try to explain disparities or conclusions, they often resort to descriptions of physical or chemical processes … whereas its …
Animal ImpactBiodiversity processesClimate stabilityFood securityNature-based SolutionsOceansWhales and dolphinsWhy animals are important
Animals and ocean deoxygenation
A paper just published A 2021 Horizon Scan of Emerging Global Biological Conservation Issues (Sutherland et al 2020) identifies “Deoxygenation” impacts on Coral Reef Health and “Increases in Dissolved Iron …
Animal ImpactBiodiversity processesChaos reductionConservation principlesFood pyramidsMegafaunaNature-based SolutionsRewildingWhy animals are important
What is a keystone species? Animals stabilise ecosystems, not drive them
What is a keystone species? The term was coined by American zoologist Robert Paine in 1969 as meaning an animal that has disproportionate effect on its surroundings. Conservationists will often use …