Posted on October, 17 2024

Wendy Elliott, Practice Leader, Biodiversity (Interim) and Becky Chaplin-Kramer, Biodiversity Lead Scientist

We all experience the presence of wild animals  in our daily lives - whether it be the song of a garden bird, or the fish on our plate at dinner time. 

Yet, we rarely consider the vital  roles that the astonishing diversity of wild animal species play in our own survival.

The Nature’s Technicians report, sheds light on these often-overlooked roles, helping us to understand how deeply interconnected we are with wildlife. 

From the mighty whale to the humble dung beetle, wild animals are all essential pieces of the puzzle that make up life on Earth.  

From sustaining economies to buffering against disease

We need animals to pollinate the vast majority of trees in nature, not to mention the diversity of our food crops. 

We need animals to move and help germinate tree seeds and ensure our forests remain healthy, able to regenerate, and store as much carbon as possible.

We need wide-ranging animals to facilitate the flow of nutrients within and between ecosystems, sustaining economies like fisheries, and helping prevent tipping points in crucial biomes like the Amazon

We need the little guys underground, too, the soil engineers, to bolster food production and mitigate flooding. 

We need a whole variety of species including scavengers and predators to buffer against disease. 

We risk our own survival if we lose these species.

And it is not just their existence that’s important, but their abundance and diversity - we need enough of them, interacting with other species and their habitats for the ecological roles they provide to be effective.

Understanding the importance of wild animal species is both fascinating and sobering. 

The 2024 Living Planet Report revealed a 73% average decline in wild vertebrate species since 1970 - Nature’s Technicians makes it clear why these declines are devastating not only for wildlife but also for ourselves.

COP 16 - a pivotal moment

These two reports couldn’t have come at a more critical time. 

Shortly the world’s governments will convene for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 16th Conference of the Parties (CoP16) to discuss no small thing – the levels of national ambition and global resources to halt and reverse nature loss, including wild animal species. 

What more of a wake up call do we need than understanding that the decline in wild animals is more catastrophic than previously thought, and that further declines could devastate our food systems, economies and resilience to climate change?  

Drawing a thread from the Living Planet Report and Nature’s Technicians to COP16 makes it clear that there is no rational choice but to ensure that COP16 is the moment where both ambition and resources are secured at the necessary levels.  

We have the solutions, and we have the framework for action. 

Let’s ensure that COP16 is remembered as the pivotal moment when we, together, set the foundations for a  thriving planet - for wild animals and humans alike.

To learn more, visit: Nature's Technicians