By Mary K. Burak, Kristy M. Ferraro, Kaggie D. Orrick, Nathalie R. Sommer, Diego Ellis-Soto, and Oswald J. Schmitz.

Read the full paper here.

Climate change and the biodiversity crisis are two of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Growing evidence shows that there may be a win-win solution – as animals play a significant role in regulating carbon in ecosystems. In response to this line of evidence, conservationists are exploring ‘trophic rewilding,’ the use of animal conservation and reintroductions, to address biodiversity loss and climate change simultaneously. However, trophic rewilding is complex and the impact of a species on the carbon balance of an ecosystem is context dependent. In some cases animals increase carbon storage, while in others they may have no impact or even reduce carbon storage. Further, sometimes, the goals of biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and human welfare do not align perfectly. Therefore, while this rewilding approach is exciting, successful outcomes require practitioners to exercise cautious consideration of local factors, an upholding of ethical principles in these efforts, and use technology to track progress.