Conservation of Animals is Key to Forest Recovery Efforts and Growth, New Study Reveals

Researchers found that animals play a significant role in forest restoration and recovery after studying regenerating forests and analyzing long-term data sets.

Forests are home to many animals in the wild. It is an important habitat to reproduce and a source of food. Forests are crucial in the environment and fight against climate change. It also serves as a defense or wall against natural disasters.

(Photo : by FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) in Venezuela, on October 4, 2022

Illegal logging or deforestation has been a major concern for many environmental groups and scientists. However, forests are also threatened. The impact of deforestation could impact the habitat of many animals and the ability of forests to protect Earth from the harmful effects of climate change.

As a result, environmental groups and researchers are urging governments to develop policies protecting forests from threats.

Animals are crucial to forests recovery

Furthermore, new research discovered remarkable and unusual results. The study analyzed the regeneration forests located in central Panama. The researchers found that animals are key players in forests restorations and recovery. Thus, the protection and conservation of animals could also lead to the restoration of global forests.

The study was published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B and is available to read on the Phys.org website. The international team of researchers was from the following:

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
New York Botanical Garden
Yale School of the Environment
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.

The surprising result said that animals are key drivers for forest restoration efforts. The study's senior author, Daisy Dent, explained that animals are regarded as the greatest reforestation ally. Dent is also a tropical ecologist.

Also Read: Effective Climate Actions Needed Against Major Fire Threats to Global Forests, Research Shows

According to the study's long-term data, researchers found that animals carrying seeds in the forests or deforested places play a crucial role in restoring forests. The researchers looked into four groups of animals, including large and small birds, bats, and flightless mammals.

The data that the researchers analyzed was detailed and based on 100 years of data, which showed the timeframe of how forests managed to attain a natural restoration.

As hunters and deforestation threaten forests, the study added that the restoration efforts could improve if hunters no longer threaten forests, allowing animals to roam around and establish their territories.

The study explained potential dispersal could greatly contribute to forest restoration. It means that animals carrying seeds can transport them to different parts of the forests, allowing seeds to grow in the future. On the other hand, animals' seed dispersal would help regrow the forests from threats of deforestation.

Protection of forests and animals

The study noted that the four animals dispersed the tree's seeds, which helped regenerate forests. Researchers emphasized that the unusual yet powerful result revealed that forests with low hunters could help with seed dispersal and successful forest restoration.

The restoration of global forests has been a major concern because of the threat. Protected forests have been shown to play a significant role in thermal buffers against climate change and biodiversity.