Animals are powerful landscape engineers shaping the Earth's surface, global study finds

Wild animals are reshaping Earth’s surface more than scientists realized

Wild animals are reshaping Earth’s surface more than expected, altering soil, rivers, and sediment movement across ecosystems.

Animals are powerful landscape engineers shaping the Earth's surface, global study finds

Wild animals are not just inhabitants of the natural world. Many also act as natural landscape engineers, reshaping Earth's surface as they burrow, feed, and build shelters that move soil and sediment across ecosystems. From animals disturbing riverbeds to burrowing species redistributing soil, wildlife constantly modifies the physical structure of landscapes through everyday activities.

Wild animals act as "landscape engineers": A new meta-analysis shows how activities like burrowing and feeding accelerate the movement of soil and sediment by an average of 136% in freshwater and 66% in terrestrial ecosystems across the globe.