Ecosystem roles and conservation status of bioturbator mammals

Abstract

1. The action of biological reworking of soils is referred to as bioturbation, and many species of mammals globally have an important role in soil disturbance, modifying ecosystem characteristics. 2. We examined global patterns in the distribution, conservation status, and threats to the world's bioturbator mammals and illustrated the relevant roles these species play in ecosystem engineering related to soil processes and services. We searched the data available on 3932 non-flying land-dwelling mammals included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. 3. Using existing literature and online databases, we determined that 869 (22%) of the non-flying land-dwelling mammals accessed can be considered as bioturbators in three distinct groups: foragers (n = 123), semi-fossorial species (n = 652), and strictly fossorial species (n = 94). Of the world's bioturbator mammal species, 16% are threatened, 2% are already Extinct, and 8% are classified as Data Deficient. Foragers have the highest percentage of threatened (35%) and Extinct (5%) species, while strictly fossorial species have the highest percentage of Data Deficient species (12%). Although the majority of bioturbator mammal species are found in Asia (32%), Oceania is the continent with the highest percentage of threatened (27%) and Extinct (11%) bioturbator species, while Central and South America have the highest percentage of species classified as Data Deficient (24%). The threats experienced by the greatest number of bioturbator mammal species are activities related to agriculture and aquaculture (29%), and biological resource use (22%). 4. Soil bioturbation can improve ecosystem health by reducing soil compaction, increasing nutrient cycling, soil moisture, microbe diversity, plant recruitment, and carbon storage. The loss of bioturbator mammals could trigger cascading effects throughout the ecosystems they inhabit. A better understanding of their conservation status is important so that effective conservation measures can be developed.

Bats as ecosystem engineers in iron ore caves in the Carajás National Forest, Brazilian Amazonia

“…Ecosystem engineer species are frequently pointed out as having significant impacts upon the physical structure of their habitats and the organisms that live in them [4, 5, 65, 66]. Consequently, ecosystem engineers are also recognized as having high conservation value [6], with some authors proposing those engineer species could speed ecological recovery processes and easy the re-establishment of endangered species, and should be considered to maximize conservation outcomes [67, 68; 69].…”

“…The mutualism between corals and their intracellular photosynthetic zooxanthellae allows the capture and use of calcium carbonate for the growth of their skeletonnic structure, essential for hundreds of other marine species [5]. The construction of tunnels and nests by termites moves enormous amounts of soil and enhances bioturbation processes essential for soil formation [6]. Beavers and giant armadillos are examples of land mammals whose damming or burrowing habits, respectively, can structurally modify the surrounding landscape, affecting several other species [7, 8].…”

“…Moreover, the interactions involving ecosystem engineers are frequently unique, fragile and not easily reproductible or compensable. Therefore, the identification of ecosystem engineers may also have direct implications on management measures related to human impacts, especially when endangered species, important ecosystem processes or environmental services essential to humans are involved [5, 6, 13].…”

Conservation status, threats, and information needs of small mammals in Alaska

“…They function as primary consumers, insectivores, vectors of disease, and focal prey species (Ceballos & Brown, 1995; Entwistle & Stephenson, 2000). Some, like pocket gophers (Geomyidae) and other fossorial rodents, alter physical and biotic processes to such an extent that they are considered ecosystem engineers (Beca et al, 2021). Despite their diversity and ecological importance, however, we know little of their population sizes, trends, and threats.…”

Riqueza, abundancia relativa y actividad de los mamíferos de una reserva en restauración en Costa Rica

“…Estos animales contribuyen con la dispersión y depredación de semillas, la polinización de flores, la regulación de plagas y contribuyen con el ciclo de nutrientes en el ecosistema (Lacher Jr. et al, 2019). Algunos mamíferos son los depredadores más altos de las pirámides tróficas de varios ecosistemas del mundo y muchos tienen papeles ecológicos fundamentales en la dinámica de los suelos (Beca et al, 2022). Debido a los factores anteriores, así como sus requerimientos específicos de subsistencia, los mamíferos son bioindicadores del estado de sanidad del bosque (Serna-Lagunes et al, 2019).…”