"Natural engineers"

Beavers, scorpions and co – animals help shape the earth

Beavers create wetlands.

(Bild: Rejean and Aline Bedard stock.adobe)

It's not just humans who change the landscape, animals do too - and to a greater extent than previously thought. Beavers, for example, create entire wetlands, termites build meter-high hills and salmon reshape river beds. Researchers at Queen Mary University in London have now taken a closer look at this.

"This research shows that the role of animals in shaping the Earth's landscapes is much more significant than previously thought," said lead author Gemma Harvey. The scientists systematically collected information on freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.

They found, for example, that freshwater crustaceans alter bank erosion and sediment transport. Ant mound landscapes would influence soil erosion and runoff, while beavers would have an influence on river landscapes. In addition, burrowing scorpions, hippos and numerous fish have an impact on the landscape.

"Energy from extreme flooding"
According to the team, the energy used by wild animals to shape the earth's surface is equivalent to "hundreds of thousands of extreme floods". According to the study, the effect of farm animals such as goats, sheep and horses is even greater, partly because there are many of them worldwide and they are large mammals. The "natural engineers" are collectively reshaping the earth's surface.

Animals in the subtropics and tropics are underrepresented due to a lack of research, the scientists pointed out. In addition, small animals such as insects or those that live underground or under water are likely to be overlooked. 

The study was published in the "Proceedings" of the US National Academy of Sciences ("PNAS").