15 May 2019

Loss of forest elephant may make Earth ‘less inhabitable for humans’

Elephants drink roughly 200 liters (50 gallons) of water each day. In Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, they come together at waterholes such as this one during the region's dry season (August through October).


Abstract: "A new review paper finds that the loss of Africa’s forest elephants has broad impacts on their ecosystems, including hitting several tall tree species, which play a key role in sequestering carbon dioxide. Forest elephants disperse large seeds, keep the forest canopy open, and spread rare nutrients across the forest, benefiting numerous species across the African tropics. While the IUCN currently defines African elephants as a single species, scientists believe it long past time to split them into two distinct species, savanna and forest, to bolster protection for both from the ivory trade."


Read more: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/loss-of-forest-elephant-may-make-earth-less-inhabitable-for-humans/


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