TED Talks Daily How to measure the planet’s heartbeat | Yadvinder Malhi
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Oct 29, 2025 
Yadvinder Malhi, an ecosystem ecologist, explores the intricate flows of energy, carbon, and nutrients that sustain life on Earth. He highlights how biodiversity fosters resilience and argues that human activity can actually enhance ecosystem vibrancy through methods like regenerative farming. Malhi warns against monocultures, emphasizes the importance of seabirds in maintaining island ecology, and presents the fascinating role of parrotfish in beach formation. His vision advocates for designs that support vibrant, regenerative systems for agriculture and urban areas.
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Ecosystems As Flowing Energy Networks
- Ecosystems are networks of energy and nutrient flows that build life, not just collections of parts.
- Mapping these flows reveals how sunlight captured by plants cascades into roots, fungi, soil and animals.
Vibrancy Drives Ecosystem Resilience
- Ecosystem health depends on both total energy flow and how widely that flow spreads across species.
- Malhi calls this complexity the 'vibrancy' of an ecosystem and links it to resilience.
Favor Vibrancy Over Absence Of People
- Work with people and traditional practices where they support ecological vibrancy instead of assuming absence of people equals healthy nature.
- Avoid monoculture tree-planting that channels energy into a single species and reduces biodiversity.