New research reveals how hundreds of species influence Earth’s surface processes, from vast termite mounds visible from space to hippos carving drainage systems and beavers creating entire wetlands.
Termite mounds in the Bungle Bungle Range in Western Australia. Image credit: Ouderkraal / CC BY-SA 3.0.
“This research shows that the role of animals in shaping Earth’s landscapes is much more significant that previously recognized,” said Professor Gemma Harvey, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London.
“From beavers creating wetlands to ants building mounds of soil, these diverse natural processes are crucial, yet we risk losing them as biodiversity declines.”
“From tiny ants shifting soil to salmon reshaping riverbeds, the study highlights the diversity and scale of animals’ impact across all freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.”
“By estimating the collective energy of these natural engineers, the research shows that their geomorphic contributions rival those of hundreds of thousands of major floods.”
In the study, Professor Harvey and colleagues identified 603 species, genera, or families — including insects, mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles — that shape landscapes in remarkable ways.
Despite covering just 2.4% of the planet’s surface, freshwater habitats host over a third of these remarkable species.
Animals collectively contribute at least 76,000 gigajoules of energy annually to shaping the Earth’s surface — a figure comparable to hundreds of thousands of extreme floods.
This estimate is likely conservative, as significant knowledge gaps exist, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions where biodiversity is highest but research is limited.
“Termites build vast networks of mounds in Brazil, some covering thousands of square kilometers, while salmon spawning can shift as much sediment as annual flooding,” the researchers said.
“Even ants, through their tiny but countless actions, alter soil structure and drainage.”
Nearly 30% of the identified species are rare, endemic, or threatened, meaning vital geomorphic processes could cease before their full significance is understood.
This loss could have profound consequences for ecosystems and the landscapes they support.
“This research provides new insights for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration,” Professor Harvey said.
“Rewilding and species reintroduction projects, such as the reintroduction of beavers to restore wetlands, show how harnessing these natural processes could help combat environmental challenges like erosion and flooding.”
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Gemma L. Harvey et al. 2025. Global diversity and energy of animals shaping the Earth’s surface. PNAS 122 (8): e2415104122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2415104122
