Question

What are some of the ecosystem functions that were lost in the Pleistocene that rewilding might help regain?

Answer 1

Answer

According to the given question -

Pleistocene is also called  Ice Age or glaciations period and it was observed between year from 25.8 lakh  -  0.1 lakh years ago and it was 1^st epoch of quaternary stage. The climate of Pleistocene very cold and due to the continuous glacial cycles and ice was spread on almost over 30% of the total surface of Earth with the temperature in range of −6 °C to 0 °C. In this period approximately eleven major glacial events and some minor glacial events were observed. In this period  the size of marine and terrestrial fauna was very large such as tiger,giant sloths,Mammoths, lion, etc. The ice age was responsible for climate change such as food shortage, living habitat etc and also caused the stress on fauna and flora for their survival and leads to extinction of large mammals.

Rewilding-

It is a process where biodiversity and ecosystem process was increased with the help of environment conservation and restoration of ecological characteristics of flora and fauna and the lost species due to climate change was reintroduced in the natural environment and food chain was maintained for their growth and survival.

Types of rewilding

Pleistocene rewilding - means introduction of species or the successor of species present of ice age or Pleistocene era because in the ice age a extinction of large mass of species was observed due to climate change and several other factors were also responsible for their extinction. because due to extinction the balance of ecosystem was disturbed. It involves the introduction of foreign species to a natural environment and provide them proper food and living habitat which was similar to their ice age.

Passive rewilding - In this method the involvement of human activity was reduced and the area was left alone and let it develop the natural environment by its one.

Translocation rewilding - In this method the species was reintroduced in the existing population and viability as well as survival of species was increased.

One such example of rewilding was reintroduction of wolf species to the populated area with local vegetation in Yellowstone National Park. that causes the reduction in number of coyote species and allowed several plants species such as cottonwood and natural habitat was restored.

ecosystem functions that were lost includes-

• change in the physical structure of ecosystem such as savannas and woodlands area where the most of the species ware lived at that time period
• change in trophical structure of ecosystem- includes large sized animal as well as carnivores responsible for maintaining the natural ecosystem
• the composition as well as diversity of plant growth and dispersal also lost during the ice age.
• Nutrient recycling was affected due to ice age because of cover of large area due to ice
• change in regional as well as Global temperature.