This was the fun little study making its way in the world lately. Beavers wouldn’t be at all surprised.
Study: Animals Are Not Just Inhabitants of Natural World, They Are Its Architects
New research reveals how hundreds of species influence Earth’s surface processes, from vast termite mounds visible from space to hippos carving drainage systems and beavers creating entire wetlands.
“This research shows that the role of animals in shaping Earth’s landscapes is much more significant that previously recognized,” said Professor Gemma Harvey, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London.
“From beavers creating wetlands to ants building mounds of soil, these diverse natural processes are crucial, yet we risk losing them as biodiversity declines.”
“From tiny ants shifting soil to salmon reshaping riverbeds, the study highlights the diversity and scale of animals’ impact across all freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.”
You don’t say! You mean those things just didn’t happen all by themselves? Shocking!
This research shows that the role of animals in shaping Earth’s landscapes is much more significant that previously recognized,” said Professor Gemma Harvey, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London.
“From beavers creating wetlands to ants building mounds of soil, these diverse natural processes are crucial, yet we risk losing them as biodiversity declines.”
“From tiny ants shifting soil to salmon reshaping riverbeds, the study highlights the diversity and scale of animals’ impact across all freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.”
Did you year that sound? It was the collective gasp of 20 million beavers all over the world smacking their foreheads at the same time,
“Termites build vast networks of mounds in Brazil, some covering thousands of square kilometers, while salmon spawning can shift as much sediment as annual flooding,” the researchers said.
“Even ants, through their tiny but countless actions, alter soil structure and drainage.”
Nearly 30% of the identified species are rare, endemic, or threatened, meaning vital geomorphic processes could cease before their full significance is understood.
This loss could have profound consequences for ecosystems and the landscapes they support.
“This research provides new insights for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration,” Professor Harvey said.
“Rewilding and species reintroduction projects, such as the reintroduction of beavers to restore wetlands, show how harnessing these natural processes could help combat environmental challenges like erosion and flooding.”
Better not lose any more species if you like the way things used to look. Nice little planet you got here, shame if something were to happen to it.
