The disappearance of elephants will have a rebound effect on the climate. The great thick-skinned are key players in creating and maintaining forests that capture most of the planet’s carbon dioxide today.. Without their help, Central and West African rainforests, the world’s second largest rainforest, would lose between 6% and 9% of their capacity to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide. Then, Possible extinction of these animals could exacerbate global warming it has already started to show its face all over the world.
“If we lose the elephants in the forest, we harm the global world. climate change mitigation”says Stephen Blake, a professor of biology at San Luis University and lead author of the paper examining these findings.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences‘ The researcher (PNAS) who is truly fascinated by elephants has found a compelling new reason to encourage them to be protected.
Elephants are the gardeners of the forests. It can plant new trees and cut ‘weeds’. Like other mega-hervivores, elephants find softwood trees much tastier because they capture very little CO2 and grow faster.
With this diet promoting the growth of hardwood trees Although they take longer to grow, sequester a lot more carbon.
Excellent seed dispersers
When elephants eat from these trees, they do a lot of damage: they tear off leaves, cut off entire branches, and even tear off small shoots. “Our data are harms trees with low carbon density the mostIt eliminates the direct competitor of hardwoods that can grow without problems,” he says.
By eating from the most nutritious trees, thick-skinned manage to “thin” the forestAllows the use of light, space and soil nutrients for trees that can capture more carbon to thrive.
elephants too excellent tree seed dispensers that capture more carbon, as they produce large nutritious fruits that are eaten by elephants. These seeds pass through the elephant’s intestines unharmed and are released through the feces.
“First the argument that everyone loves elephants was used to save them, then they talked about the meaning of their extinction, the loss of biodiversity. But based on the data, neither argument seems to have any bearing,” Blake emphasizes.
on the verge of extinction
And this African elephants on the brink of extinction. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the number of elephants in the forest has decreased by 86% in recent years, while the number of elephants in the savanna has decreased by 60%. According to your data, Only about 400,000 copies remain. Total.
“This is why we need to change the argument,” comments Blake, insisting that his contribution to the planet’s future—something that directly affects humans—is a good reason to stop their extinction. “The role of forest elephants in our global environment is too important to ignore,” he emphasizes.
As the researcher stated, It’s time for governments to act on this. “Killing of elephants and illegal trade continue” ivory trade.
“Ten million elephants once roamed Africa, and now there are fewer than 500,000 elephants, and most populations live in isolated pockets,” says Blake. While it is true that elephants are protected by national and international laws, poaching does not rest. These illegal killings must be stopped to prevent forest elephants from extinction.
Reference work: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2201832120