“An overlooked tool in fighting climate change is enhancing biodiversity to maximize the ability of ecosystems to store carbon. Key to that strategy is preserving top predators to control populations of herbivores, whose grazing reduces the amount of CO2 that ecosystems absorb.
by oswald j. schmitz
“As natural wonders go, perhaps the most awe-inspiring is the annual migration of 1.2 million wildebeest flowing across East Africa’s vast Serengeti grassland. It would be a tragedy to lose these animals. But we almost did in the mid-20th century when, decimated by disease and poaching, their numbers crashed to 300,000.
“The consequences of that collapse were profound. Much of the Serengeti ecosystem remained ungrazed. The accumulating dead and dried grass in turn became fuel for massive wildfires, which annually burned up to 80 percent of the area, making the Serengeti an important regional source of carbon dioxide emissions.” e360.yale.edu
GR: This is a good argument for nature conservation. If we studied, restored, and protected natural ecosystems, the Earth could tolerate and mitigate more human impact. Of course, Earth’s natural systems can’t withstand the growing demands for food and space the massive human population is making. I believe we have to get our population growth reversed if we hope to save natural ecosystems (http://garryrogers.com/2015/10/19/population-2).
