Wild animals: The original and best carbon-capture ‘technology’
In a new article by Liz Kimbrough, Mongabay reports on new research revealing that areas with fewer seed-dispersing animals store up to four times less carbon than forests with healthy wildlife populations.
Research shows that recovering just nine key populations could prevent global temperatures from rising above 1.5°C. AWC joins the Global Rewilding Alliance, keen proponents for animating the carbon cycle
Big trees, though only 1% of the forest, handle 50% of the Amazon’s carbon cycling and storage. Intact forests are remarkably resilient, but remain under threat from fires and deforestation
Forests with fewer seed-dispersing animals store up to 4x less carbon than those with healthy wildlife populations. Global “seed dispersal disruption” explains a 57% reduction in carbon storage potential across restoration areas
The webinar presents the latest scientific insights about how animal species restoration and conservation can contribute to nature-based climate solutions via their underappreciated functional roles in protecting and enhancing carbon capture and storage across a broad range of global ecosystems.
Large migratory bison herds in Yellowstone reshape the landscape, stabilising production and accelerating nitrogen turnover, and demonstrate that migratory systems thrive when heterogeneity in density is embraced
A lot of attention has been paid to how climate change can drive biodiversity loss. Now, MIT researchers have shown the reverse is also true: Reductions in biodiversity can jeopardise one of Earth’s most powerful levers for mitigating climate change.
New research published in Global Change Biology (Roberts et al., 2025) reveals that forests with healthy populations of wild Tigers store more carbon than ‘empty forests’ without Tigers — advancing the goals of both the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This provides additional compelling evidence that wildlife recovery is a critical, yet often overlooked, tool in climate mitigation.
Written by Magnus Sylvén & May Scott
Seed dispersal disruption explains wide variation in tropical forest regrowth rates. The loss of animal biodiversity reduces carbon accumulation by 57% in areas identified for restoration, threatening climate mitigation potential
The study evaluates the decline of seed dispersers and the consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. It features their maintenance, recovery and future trajectories under land-use change, wildfire, biotic invasions and climate change
Fisheries amplify the loss of marine carbon export by up to 56.7%, resulting in a sequestration deficit of 14.6 GtC by 2100. Restoring commercial macrofauna biomass is a Nature-based Climate Solution with high carbon durability (~600 years)
Forests with tigers store more vegetation carbon than those without across most forest types. In disturbed areas, tigers help control carbon by limiting ungulates; in stable forests, carbon influences tiger density. Tiger presence also links to higher soil or plant carbon.
Large carnivores, including the grey wolf, play an important role in the carbon cycle through modifying the behaviour and population of wild herbivores. This paper explores the impact of a wolf reintroduction in the Scottish Highlands
In a new article by Graham Lawton, New Scientist cites a growing pile of evidence that animals are unrecognised but powerful drivers of carbon capture.
We’ve pumped huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that needs to be paid back. Large animals like wolves, bison and whales may already be tackling the problem
This paper, focussing mainly on plants, shows how large herbivores directly impact ecosystem diversity and functionality through changes to selection, speciation, drift and dispersal
Share these stories to amplify the message of wildlife’s key role in addressing the interconnected climate and biodiversity crises
By 2025, countries participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) must present their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), detailing renewed strategies to address the escalating climate crisis.
These guidelines address the critical need to align national climate strategies with biodiversity goals ensuring, that conserving ecosystems and wildlife can contribute to carbon sequestration while supporting economic development
The study ‘Toward the quantification of the climate co-benefits of invasive mammal eradication on islands’ highlights the crucial role of invasive species in increasing climate resilience
Islands are currently hotspots of biological and cultural diversity but face threats from invasive species and climate change. Invasive mammal eradication on islands is a proven conservation intervention that helps reduce biodiversity loss
Webinar for policymakers in Europe presenting ground-breaking evidence from Yale University & other leading institutions, showing how wild animals play a key role in global carbon cycles
Webinar for policymakers in Africa presenting ground-breaking evidence from Yale University & other leading institutions, showing how wild animals play a key role in global carbon cycles. Downloadable slides from Andrew Tilker from Re:wild
Webinar for policymakers in MENA presenting ground-breaking evidence from Yale University & other leading institutions, showing how wild animals play a key role in global carbon cycles
European bison disappeared from Romania more than 200 years ago, 170 were reintroduced to the Tarcu mountains and research shows they can help mitigate the impact of the climate crisis
European bison are a keystone species and are known ecosystem engineers and research demonstrates they can have significant impacts on an ecosystem’s carbon cycle
Gone from Romania for 200 years, European bison were reintroduced to the Țarcu Mountains in 2014. Now numbering 170, the bison are reshaping the mountain landscape in ways that are helping clean up emissions
New research from Yale University shows that 170 rewilded European Bison in Romania’s Tarcu mountains are helping to draw down and store the equivalent CO2 emissions of removing up to 84,000 average US petrol cars from the road
Q&A to accompany the Rewilded Bison are Climate Heroes press release. It covers impacts of the Bison on the carbon cycle and ecosystems and about a new scientific field – Animating the Carbon Cycle
Gone from Romania for 200 years, European bison were reintroduced to the _arcu Mountains in 2014. Now numbering 170, the bison are reshaping the mountain landscape in ways that are helping clean up emissions