ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Animals

Decline in African forest elephants can raise atmospheric carbon dioxide

Everything is connected in nature -- and negative effects cascade.

Fermin KoopbyFermin Koop
July 15, 2019
in Animals, Environment
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Found in West and Central Africa, forest elephants have played a key role in shaping the structure of the continent’s rainforest. The species is now threatened by extinction, which could lead to a reduction in forest biomass and a decline in carbon stocks of up to seven percent, according to a new paper in Nature Geoscience

Source: Flickr (US Fish and Wildlife Service)

 

Fabio Berzaghi and colleagues analyzed the effects of elephants on the structure, productivity and carbon storage of African rainforests. They quantify these effects based on field data and model simulations that incorporate elephant disturbance, which they define as the destruction of plants.

Forest elephants kill trees smaller than 30 cm in diameter that are located on and near trails used for movement. This leads to changes in the competition for light, water and space among trees and favors the emergence of fewer and larger trees, which increases the amount of carbon stored.

“Megaherbivores and most large herbivores are now endangered, and their disappearance may have important ecological repercussions. Elephants, one of the last remaining megaherbivores, are classified as vulnerable or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List,” the authors claimed.

Forest elephants are a distinct subspecies of African elephants. They are uniquely adapted to the forest habitat of the Congo Basin. Up to 30 percent of tree species may require elephants to help with dispersal and germination. They play a pivotal role in shaping their habitat.

But they are rapidly declining in numbers. They are threatened by activities such as poaching for ivory, mining and logging concessions, and road expansion. Their population has declined from 1,200,000 to the currently estimated 415,000, according to WWF.

RelatedPosts

Warmer climate is making bumblebees’ tongues shorter
Massive Attack Just Showed That Concerts and Tours Can Also Be Eco-Friendly
In five years, the world could break a key climate threshold
Hot pavement can cause second-degree burns within seconds

“The large-scale effects over the entire African forest depend critically on the actual area under elephant disturbance, and on the spatial patterns of trails,” the authors argued.

The projected decrease of seven percent in carbon stocks due to the decline in the number of forest elephants could be reversed through conservation efforts, Berzhagi and colleagues claimed. This would represent a carbon storage service of up to US$43 billion.

Tags: climate changeelephantsforest elephants africa

Share14TweetShare
Fermin Koop

Fermin Koop

Fermin Koop is a reporter from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He holds an MSc from Reading University (UK) on Environment and Development and is specialized in environment and climate change news.

Related Posts

Champiñón Hongos Naturaleza Setas Reino Fungi
Animal facts

What do Fungi, Chameleons, and Humans All Have in Common? We’re all Heterotrophs

byShiella Olimpos
2 weeks ago
Climate

Climate Change Is Rewriting America’s Gardening Map and Some Plants Can’t Keep Up

byGrace van Deelen
3 weeks ago
Climate

Scientists Create “Bait” to Lure Baby Corals Back to Dying Reefs

byMihai Andrei
1 month ago
Science

This Tree Survives Lightning Strikes—and Uses Them to Kill Its Rivals

byTudor Tarita
2 months ago

Recent news

This Plastic Dissolves in Seawater and Leaves Behind Zero Microplastics

June 14, 2025

Women Rate Women’s Looks Higher Than Even Men

June 14, 2025

AI-Based Method Restores Priceless Renaissance Art in Under 4 Hours Rather Than Months

June 13, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.