by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
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Contrary to what you might think, the Earth’s large herbivores<\/strong> can play an important role in countering climate change. This is suggested by a research<\/a> published in the journal Current Biology. Indeed, the study, taken up by the U.S.-based NGO Mongabay, highlights how these animals end up implementing a number of mechanisms that prove, in their own way, to be effective mitigation strategies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Animals, in particular, “help prevent fires, decrease the amount of solar heat absorbed by the Earth\u2019s surface, and contribute a lot to the long-term storage of carbon in soil,” said<\/a> Yadvinder Malhi<\/strong>, an ecosystem expert at the University of Oxford and lead author<\/strong> of the research. Mammals such as elephants, wildebeests and the like, the organization then notes, “may be helping, not hindering, our carbon storage efforts.”<\/p>\n