In 2021, a group of scientists in the Royal Geographical Society met in London to discuss the importance of five endangered species and their importance to various ecosystems. The five endangered species were fungi, plankton, primates, bats, and bees. After careful consideration, they chose one as the MVP for our environment. Which do you think was voted MVP?
Fungi – Without fungi, most terrestrial plants would die since fungi break down dead, organic matter in the soil to release nutrients needed for plants to grow successfully. Life in forests would be buried under a mountain of dead plant matter without fungi to help decompose it.
Plankton – Both phytoplankton and zooplankton are the foundation of the ocean’s ecosystem. Phytoplankton are one of the earth’s most important oxygen producers through their photosynthesis. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen and are more efficient than all the forests on the planet. Without phytoplankton, all marine life would perish not only from lack of oxygen, but from lack of food in their food chain.
Zooplankton do not produce their own food and rely upon phytoplankton for food. Small fish, crustaceans, and other small marine animals feed on zooplankton. Larger ocean animals feed on smaller marine creatures that depend upon zooplankton for food.
Non-human primates – Primates are important seed dispersers. When they eat fruit and berries, the seeds pass through their guts and are dispersed as they travel throughout their habitat. They also disperse seeds from other foods they eat. The earth’s food chain depends upon a complex web of predators and prey. If non-human primates disappeared, other species within the primates’ food chains would also become extinct.
Bats – Bats are important pollinators of plants in a variety of ecosystems. Agaves for tequila, dates, mangoes, and bananas are just a few of the plants pollinated by bats. They also consume millions of insects to maintain a balance in the insect world. Bats promote biodiversity and help maintain a variety of ecosystems.
Bees – Bees are one of the earth’s main pollinators. Almost 70% of our food supply relies upon bees for pollination. Birds and mammals feed on many of the plants pollinated by bees. One out of every three bites of our food are pollinated by bees. They are the pollinators of our crops and of the plants eaten by a majority of earth’s wildlife.
Which was voted MVP? The tiny bee! On the shoulders of tiny bees, the rest of earth’s ecosystems stand.
