Ecologists Assert Efforts To Conserve Carbon in Tropical Forests by Highlighting the Work of Forest Primates

Ecologists from the Oregon State University claimed in an article that was just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that efforts to maintain the carbon stored in tropical forests would benefit by being connected to the charismatic, endangered monkeys who dwell there.

Carbon Conservation Efforts On Threatened Forest Primates

(Photo : Uday Kiran/Unsplash)

According to William Ripple of the OSU College of Forestry, two of the biggest risks to the globe are climate change and the biodiversity issue.

And it's becoming evident that if we handle climate change as a stand-alone issue, significant climate action won't take place.

Ripple and co-author Christopher Wolf, who is also from the College of Forestry, examined the carbon storage capacity of the ranges of 340 threatened forest primate species, which are those that are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

According to the researchers, 245 of the 340 vulnerable forest primate species are endangered or severely endangered, and all but five species are experiencing population declines, as per ScienceDaily.

Many species are found in "hotspots" in South America, Africa, and Asia, which are especially rich in primate species.

Despite their importance for conservation and climate change mitigation, the hotspots are mainly unprotected.

Details of the policy's implementation will determine how well the relationship between irrecoverable carbon and forest primates works, according to Ripple.

The ranges of some monkey species, for instance, may be tightly correlated with irrecoverable forest carbon and may be particularly charismatic.

That makes sustainable ecotourism possible, which might help raise money for both carbon and primate conservation.

Also Read: New Five-Year Carbon Market Pilot Program Gives Conservation Funding for Land Trusts

The Climate Change In An African Rainforest

The forest elephant makes a maze of green corridors as it trudges through the dense rainforests of West and Central Africa by grazing and stomping on small trees in its route, as per Future Planet.

This gentle giant, which is smaller than its more well-known counterpart, the savannah elephant, and stands three meters (about 10 feet), is nonetheless a solitary and elusive animal.

The forest elephant wreaks havoc while munching on leaves and berries, removing the bark from young trees, and digging in the ground for roots.

However, this clearing helps forests store more carbon in their trees and protects one of the planet's most important ecosystems, thus it does more benefit than harm to the forest.

The ability of African forest elephants to increase carbon stores and disperse essential nutrients has earned them the nickname "mega-gardeners of the forest."

According to a 2019 study, the elephant's destructive behaviors contribute to an increase in the total quantity of carbon stored in the central African rainforest.

These rainforests can absorb an additional 9,500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per square kilometer as a result of each forest elephant.

This is equivalent to the emissions produced by 2,047 gasoline cars driven for a year.

The model demonstrated that while forest elephants enhanced average tree diameter and total biomass above ground, they decreased the density of forest stems.

Because they compete with larger trees for light, water, and space, elephants that graze and trample on trees with a diameter of less than 30 cm (1 foot) are to blame.

The bigger trees thrived because they eliminated their rivals.

According to lead author Fabio Berzaghi, a researcher at the Laboratory of Climate and Environment Sciences in Gif-sur-Yvette, France, as a result of the elephants' habits, the taller trees grew even taller.

Elephants prefer eating smaller trees because they have lesser wood density, which is associated with rapid growth and higher mortality.

According to Berzaghi, the elephants' behavior encourages the establishment of slower-growing trees that store more carbon in their trunks.

According to him, trees' ability to store carbon is mostly influenced by their volume and wood density, however, denser wood requires more time and resources to produce.

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