2024-02-02 16:38:54
Wild horses near Mono Lake, California are considered ecologically harmful because they were introduced. However, the results of this study show that they do not modify ecosystems. Andrew Abraham
Contrary to what was previously thought, the effects of large herbivores on ecosystems depend more on their size and their diet than on their origin.
Ecosystems are complex balances. A new species arrives, or another disappears and everything is turned upside down. The introduction, or arrival, of animals is in this sense often seen as a source of problems. A new study carried out by scientists from the Department of Biology at Aarhus University (Denmark) and published in the journal Science shows that the origin of animals is not decisive in this equation. Introduced animals could play the same role as local species, if the right characteristics are taken into account in conservation policy.
To arrive at these conclusions, the authors analyzed data from 221 studies on ecosystems from 6 continents and already published in scientific journals. This synthesis shows that the impact of large introduced herbivores is no different from that of native animals. « These results go against the most widespread assumption, which considers that introductions…
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