Due to a busy start of 2023 I hadn't discussed our recent paper @npjbiodiversity doi.org/10.1038/s44185…, done with @gpardoBC3 @MoustaphaItani @AgusBC3 (@BC3Research, @GCCGtweet).
For many reasons, it's important to know natural herbivore abundance. #FoodSystems #conservation 1/9
For many reasons, it's important to know natural herbivore abundance. #FoodSystems #conservation 1/9
Back in 2008, Anthony Barnosky had proposed a first estimate on how much herbivore was naturally populating Earth. He was not intending to close the issue - rather trying to open a debate that is very relevant for understanding and managing ecosystems.
2/9
https://twitter.com/PabloPastos/status/1218161827118505984
2/9
Yet many have since then taken such estimate as written in stone, neither really understanding the scientific method (subjected to constant validation)
3/9
https://twitter.com/PabloPastos/status/1294422233809657859nor reviewing evidence published later. A call of attention for unfortunate partisan use of science.
3/9
But the last decade has been fertile in this field, and we were lucky to spot studies for all biomes under the umbrella of William J. Bond's Open Ecosystems, where there is evidence for high (≥ 10 tons/km²) herbivore densities. Tropical & temperate.
4/9
https://twitter.com/PabloPastos/status/1295784405693325312
4/9
Oh yes, and also boreal ones! Sergei and Nikita Zimov @PleistocenePark have proven the same dynamics and herbivore densities in areas not yet incuded in such Open Ecosystems, but with great funcional similarities.
In summary, it seems that we had...
5/9
https://twitter.com/AgusBC3/status/1514966897342701569
In summary, it seems that we had...
5/9
...lots of herbivores around during the last million years, meaning that herbivory is not only not such a bad thing - but a process that is needed in most terrestrial ecosystems in order to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem function.
And how do we maintain it, in a world...
6/9
And how do we maintain it, in a world...
6/9
...that has lost most of its munching giants?
In the last thousands of years we seem to have been doing pretty well with #livestock. Yet now we have unbalanced herbivory by having too much in some places, and too little in some others.
How to know? The densities per km²...
7/9
In the last thousands of years we seem to have been doing pretty well with #livestock. Yet now we have unbalanced herbivory by having too much in some places, and too little in some others.
How to know? The densities per km²...
7/9
...a good clue, but herbivores tend to migrate. This is why mobile livestock
An opportunity for sustainable #FoodSystems, with herbivores having...
8/9
https://twitter.com/PabloPastos/status/1494011194427985923, which doesn't need much inputs and mimics the natural behavior of wild herbivores, seems a good idea.
An opportunity for sustainable #FoodSystems, with herbivores having...
8/9
...a net positive input.
And an alternative depiction of graphs on livestock vs. wild herbivores that we already included in our video summarizing some of our research results.
Enjoy the paper!
and 9/9
And an alternative depiction of graphs on livestock vs. wild herbivores that we already included in our video summarizing some of our research results.
Enjoy the paper!
and 9/9
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