Eat, Poop, Die: Animals as the Arteries of the Biosphere with Joe Roman
Jul 10, 2024
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Conservation biologist Joe Roman discusses how animals act as the arteries of the biosphere by spreading vital nutrients across ecosystems. Topics include reintroducing animals for restoration, whales' movements based on oxygen levels, and the role of animals in nutrient cycling for a regenerative economy.
Animal populations act as the heart and arteries of the biosphere, dispersing vital nutrients across ecosystems.
Whales and salmon play crucial roles in nutrient distribution, influencing marine and terrestrial environments for biodiversity and resilience.
Conservation biologists face challenges like limited resources and lack of mainstream interest, emphasizing the need for continuous efforts in animal population conservation.
Deep dives
Restoring Sea Otters to Ecosystems
Sea otters were nearly extinct due to hunting by the 19th and early 20th centuries, limited to a couple of remote Alaskan islands. A biologist warned against nuclear tests harming otters, proposing to relocate them. The otters were brought back to their historical habitats, initiating trophic rewilding. The return of otters led to the regeneration of kelp forests, fish populations, and altered hunting patterns of eagles, showcasing the transformative impact of restoring animal populations.
Nutrient Dispersal by Animals
Animals play a crucial role in dispersing nutrients across ecosystems. Species like whales and salmon distribute nutrients, affecting marine and terrestrial environments. Whales contribute significantly to the carbon and nutrient cycles by releasing nutrients at the surface after diving deep. Salmon migration transfers nutrients from oceans to mountainous regions, influencing various species and ecosystem health. Animal-driven nutrient movements are essential for biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Challenges Faced by Wildlife Biologists
Wildlife biologists encounter challenges in studying and conserving animal populations. Limited resources, burnout, and the lack of mainstream interest in biodiversity conservation are prevalent. The field requires dedicated individuals despite financial constraints and a non-linear career path. Ensuring continuous efforts to address the decline in animal populations and environmental threats remains a crucial task.
The Role of Storytelling in Conservation
Effective storytelling and metaphors play a vital role in advocating for wildlife conservation. Narratives about individual animals and ecological processes help engage a broader audience and convey complex scientific concepts in relatable ways. By weaving stories and creating metaphors, conservationists aim to raise awareness, foster empathy towards animals, and inspire action to address environmental challenges.
Promoting Awareness and Value Changes for Environmental Conservation
Raising awareness through education and advocating for changes in values, behaviors, and political systems are key elements in promoting environmental conservation efforts. By engaging in a new cultural conversation and supporting emergent initiatives by individuals and organizations, a shift in how society perceives and values different animal species can occur. Reflecting on why certain animals receive more attention and conservation efforts than others highlights the need for expanding empathy and concern to a wider range of species.
The Role of Animals in Ecosystem Restoration and Regenerative Economic Systems
Animals play a crucial role in restoring ecological balance by aiding in nutrient cycling and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Examples such as the impact of beavers in retaining phosphorus in landscapes and the contribution of dolphins and seabirds in nutrient transfer emphasize the importance of preserving animal populations. Promoting conservation efforts and integrating animals into regenerative economic systems can lead to sustainable practices that benefit biodiversity and ecosystem health.
If plants are considered the lungs of the Earth, cycling CO2 into oxygen for animals to breathe, then animals act as the heart and arteries, spreading nutrients across the Earth to where it’s needed most.
This is the metaphor that today’s guest, conservation biologist Joe Roman, uses when describing his work studying how animals such as whales, otters, salmon, and midges provide vital ecosystem services, and how destruction of their populations – caused by modern industrial systems – affects the livability of the entire planet.
How has human activity drastically altered the balance and mass of species, and subsequently their ability to spread nutrients across the biosphere? What consequences must we face when biodiversity is diminished and nutrients are no longer dispersed as equally, leaving ecosystems with either extreme concentrations or scarcity of essential minerals, such as nitrogen and phosphorus? If we could “re-wild” diminishing species into their native habitats and aim for zero human-caused extinctions, how would this support a more resilient Earth for future generations of humans and animals alike?
About Joe Roman:
Joe Roman is a conservation biologist, marine ecologist, and “editor ’n’ chef” of eattheinvaders.org. Winner of the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award for Listed: Dispatches from America’s Endangered Species Act, Roman has written for The New York Times, Science, Slate, and other publications. Coverage of his research has appeared in the New Yorker, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, and many other outlets. He is a fellow and writer in residence at the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. His latest book is Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World.
