17 October 2024: Plankton-eaters that move nutrients vertically and laterally across the oceans, underpinning ocean productivity, hornbills that play a critical role in rainforest regeneration through seed dispersal, dung beetles, the archetypal soil engineers whose vertical tunneling decreases soil density and improves soil drainage, lynx and their role in deer control regulating damage to forests and agriculture; these are just some of the remarkable species captured in – Nature’s Technicians – a new review launched by WWF today.
A new review showcases the role wild animal species play in ecosystems and our own survival.
“Immerse yourself in Nature's Technicians, a captivating journey into the hidden world of wildlife, where every creature—from the iconic Asian elephant to the Mekong fishes and the humble ant—plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. This report serves as a powerful reminder of nature’s extraordinary resilience and invites you to marvel at, protect, and celebrate the very species that ensure our planet's future. Let it inspire you to be part of the solution, because our survival depends on theirs.” Comment on the launch of the report: Dr. Akchousanh Rasphone, Conservation Director of WWF-Laos.
Nature’s Technicians illustrates the vital roles that healthy wildlife populations play in a range of services crucial for our own existence, from seed dispersal, pollination, pest control, soil maintenance, nutrient cycling and flood mitigation, showing how they are the essential building blocks of functional ecosystems that are integral to the well-being of human societies.
"In Nature’s Technicians, you will read about the critical contributions of not only charismatic species like elephants, bison and sea otters, but also dragonflies, ants and beetles, as well as the decidedly uncharismatic worms, fungi and oysters in maintaining our forests, grasslands, rivers and oceans," says Wendy Elliott, WWF Biodiversity Practice Leader (interim). “All these wild animal species play crucial roles in the ecosystems in which they live, and in turn, in our own survival."
Globally, species are under immense pressure from habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation and the devastating impacts of illegal wildlife trade. The world’s monitored wild vertebrate populations have dramatically declined on average by 73% since 1970, and over a million species may now face extinction.
The objective of this review is to inspire a deeper appreciation for all wild creatures and the irreplaceable roles they play in providing ecosystem services for humanity, and how every species, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, contributes to the tapestry of life.
The conservation of these wild animals is an essential part of sustainable development. But it is not simply a matter of their continued existence – they need to be in large enough populations to do their job properly. Which means that in many cases protecting what remains is no longer enough: recovering wild animal populations is also required.
The examples highlighted in this review are a timely reminder to governments, to recognize the value of their commitments in the goals and targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to ensure nature’s contributions to people.
A new review showcases the role wild animal species play in ecosystems and our own survival.
“Immerse yourself in Nature's Technicians, a captivating journey into the hidden world of wildlife, where every creature—from the iconic Asian elephant to the Mekong fishes and the humble ant—plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. This report serves as a powerful reminder of nature’s extraordinary resilience and invites you to marvel at, protect, and celebrate the very species that ensure our planet's future. Let it inspire you to be part of the solution, because our survival depends on theirs.” Comment on the launch of the report: Dr. Akchousanh Rasphone, Conservation Director of WWF-Laos.
Nature’s Technicians illustrates the vital roles that healthy wildlife populations play in a range of services crucial for our own existence, from seed dispersal, pollination, pest control, soil maintenance, nutrient cycling and flood mitigation, showing how they are the essential building blocks of functional ecosystems that are integral to the well-being of human societies.
"In Nature’s Technicians, you will read about the critical contributions of not only charismatic species like elephants, bison and sea otters, but also dragonflies, ants and beetles, as well as the decidedly uncharismatic worms, fungi and oysters in maintaining our forests, grasslands, rivers and oceans," says Wendy Elliott, WWF Biodiversity Practice Leader (interim). “All these wild animal species play crucial roles in the ecosystems in which they live, and in turn, in our own survival."
Globally, species are under immense pressure from habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation and the devastating impacts of illegal wildlife trade. The world’s monitored wild vertebrate populations have dramatically declined on average by 73% since 1970, and over a million species may now face extinction.
The objective of this review is to inspire a deeper appreciation for all wild creatures and the irreplaceable roles they play in providing ecosystem services for humanity, and how every species, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, contributes to the tapestry of life.
The conservation of these wild animals is an essential part of sustainable development. But it is not simply a matter of their continued existence – they need to be in large enough populations to do their job properly. Which means that in many cases protecting what remains is no longer enough: recovering wild animal populations is also required.
The examples highlighted in this review are a timely reminder to governments, to recognize the value of their commitments in the goals and targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to ensure nature’s contributions to people.
