Extinction of large animals accelerates climate change – World

 11:53 a.m.
 |
 EFE .- hunting, illegal trade and deforestation of forests is taking the edge of the extinction of thousands of species of large animals in the world but do we know what happens when these copies disappear?

A study published today in the journal Advances Science for the first time warns defaunation or extinction of large animals has serious implications for ecological interactions impoverishes forests and climate change accelerates.

The work, conducted by Spanish researchers, Colombians and Brazilians from the Paulista State University (UNESP) , with scientists from England and Finland, shows that animals Large maintain diversity and ecosystem services and, therefore, their disappearance has “unexpected and devastating to the environment” effects.

The first study examines what happens when large -the frugívoros that feed mainly fruit- disappear, “that are crucial for reforestation and natural regeneration of forests” , told Efe researcher professor at the Biological Station of Doñana and coauthor of the study, Pedro Jordano.

“And it is because of their diet, these animals such as toucans, tapirs, or large primates eat lots of fruits of plants, seeds large after defecate or regurgitate back into the forest and in suitable conditions for germination. That is, they are responsible for planting the forest, “says the researcher.

This does not only favor these animals but also to forests, “is what we call an ecological mutual interaction, ie, that favors both parties.”

The study, conducted in forests southeastern Brazil (some well preserved and others with little wildlife due to deforestation and hunting), has shown that “forest areas no frugívoros have a storage capacity much less carbon than forests are well preserved, and therefore its potential to counteract the effects of climate change is much smaller, “says Jordan.

“The trees that have large seeds are large trees with dense wood, which store more carbon,” explains Professor Mauro Galetti department Ecology UNESP.

The work is important because it shows that the loss of these animals represents a loss of ecological interactions that are crucial to the environment and generate a chain reaction.

“Not only do we face the loss of charismatic animals, we face the loss of interactions that maintain the proper functioning of key ecosystem services such as carbon storage,” says Jordan.

The findings of the study are extrapolated the entire planet, as more than 90 percent of the woody species of trees and shrubs from around the world and 60 percent of Mediterranean forests depend on frugivorous to preserve recalls Jordan.

Therefore, the study proposes that reforestation programs and compensation for carbon emissions, called REED + programs take into account the ‘mutualism’ and contemplate these animals as a fundamental part of ecosystems.

And is that so far, the REED + programs have only considered forest disturbances caused by man, such as logging and the presence of fuegos- without realizing that “are apparently intact forests may be defaunados and therefore can be degraded forests,” says Professor of Tropical Conservation Ecology at the University of East Anglia (UK), Carlos Peres.

The study on alert and the importance of considering the animals and their roles as key part of the forest.

“The actions of REDD should not stay only in restoring vegetation cover, but the ecological processes more ambitious targets should be set. Not only recover but a forest full functionality a forest, with all its elements, “Jordanian proposed.