BY
SIMON MUSTOE
Expert Ecologist, Consultant & Author
How important are soil invertebrates? A new paper in Science Advances may have the answer. Researchers have estimated the abundance of all land arthropods (animals like insects, crabs, spiders and millipedes). It turns out that two-thirds to three-quarters of all these lifeforms live in our soils. Soil is the by-product …
BLOG – ANIMAL IMPACT – by Simon Mustoe
Wildlife has a huge and immeasurable impact on the stability, health and functioning of ecosystems. For this reason, humanity cannot survive without wildlife. Wild animals turn dust into soil, carbon into food and the weather into a fair climate for living.
These are the stories untold – the reason why conservation is essential for our survival. The orangutan doesn’t simply depend on rainforest canopy structure, it creates the structure. We humans don’t simply depend on forests or coral reefs, we live among the animals that make those places habitable. In this blog I explore the many and varied ways we connect with nature. This reveals the link between the way we think, behave and act, and the very basis for our existence and survival as a species on Earth. But only as long as we are surrounded by a colourful and diverse abundance of other animals.
More on the importance of wildlife
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A week ago last Wednesday scientists reported discovering the largest coral on Earth in the Solomon Islands. Is this the …
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We spent most of the morning snorkelling in Bayside today. The major highlight was wonderful views of a Blue-ringed Octopus. …
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Dropped in a couple of times today to snorkel at Ricketts Point as the weather was hot. It’s amazing what …
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It’s been a while since I’ve snorkelled locally. I got a bit of an ear infection for a short while …
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Finally I’m back and rested after an exhilerating couple of weeks with guests in the Banda Sea. I’ve now had …
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We cruised in overnight and made anchor before discovering Banda Neira. Banda is an extraordinary place with a rich history …
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‘The presence of the castaways, it was stated, would not have been discovered if Captain Frame had’ not decided to …
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Manuk Island’s famous sea snakes in Indonesia are at one of the largest and most important seabird colonies in the …
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Our first couple of days has been dominated by Blue Whales and the Lucipara Islands. A wonderful journey as we …
Books, art, films and podcasts
It took Biruté over twenty years to begin to understand Orangutans. This is because it takes at least two generations to confirm the way any animal behaves. For female Orangutans, that’s at least sixteen years. Before this, it was a widely held belief that Orangutans couldn’t be studied. Like her …
