The devil is in the details: Experiment reveals how a forest-dwelling scavenger, and their excrement, may buffer ecosystem processes from climate change
A new study shows Tasmanian devils boost soil nutrients, microbial diversity, productivity, and carbon storage through bone‑rich scat. Modeling suggests their loss would reduce forest resilience under climate change, highlighting how species declines can undermine ecosystem functions and natural climate solutions.
Subject Tags
- Climate impacts
- Wildlife
- Forest
Graphical Abstract
(see article)
This article is an Invited Commentary on Stephenson et al. (2024). This commentary attempts to provide broader context of the research within the body of literature on species loss and ecosystem functioning and highlights its relevance to conservation and global change.
Citation
Stokely, T.D., 2024. The devil is in the details: Experiment reveals how a forest‐dwelling scavenger, and their excrement, may buffer ecosystem processes from climate change. Global Change Biology, 30(9). https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17499
TNC Authors
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Thomas Stokely
Forest Ecologist, Oregon
The Nature Conservancy
Email: thomas.stokely@tnc.org