[Animals] The loss of large herbivores can modify the entire forest ecosystem

[Noticias ALEJANDRO]

Insects and microorganisms that feed on plants, cut leaves, modify plant tissue, or cause stains and other types of damage are generally known as pests and are considered harmful. However, interactions between plants and their natural enemies are important sources of biodiversity. And any change can break the balance of ecosystems.

 

 

In tropical forests, for example, these pests are part of large ecological networks on which the functioning of ecosystems depends. If they decrease, the entire forest could be affected, with consequences that have not yet been analyzed in depth.

A study whose results have been published in the 'Journal of Ecology' shows that the loss of large herbivorous mammals such as tapirs, deer or peccaries may be a factor in the decrease in interactions between plants and their natural enemies.

Plant species richness increases in the short term in the absence of large mammals that feed on them and trample or change soil structure. Because pathogens have very specific relationships with host plants, their ability to spread and continue their life cycle decreases in areas with greater species richness.

 

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