In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University of Florida demonstrated a monumental link between the dramatic decline of elephant populations and the local extinction of dominant tree species. They found that Asian elephants and other large-bodied, seed-eating mammals, play a vital role in seed dispersion in dominant tree species in Thailand. Thus, elephants not only help, but are also vital for these tree populations to thrive. It was known that elephants and other animals dispersed the seeds after eating local vegetation. But now we know that they tend to spread the healthier tree seeds that have the highest chance of survival.

The elephant population in Asia has seen disastrous declines in the past century. In the beginning of the 20th century, it was estimated that there were over 100,000 Asian elephants; now that number has plummeted by over 50 percent; perhaps to only 30,000-40,000 individuals. This recent study shows the urgency of protecting elephants from overhunting before it is too late. “The message that ‘guns kill trees too’ should help put overhunting at the top of the conservation agenda, where it deserves to be,” said Richard Corlett, director of the Center for Integrative Conservation at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Gardens in Yunnan, China.

Elephants and other large seed-dispersing mammals are vital to biodiversity in their habitats and have a massive impact on the ecosystem as a whole.   When hunters and poachers create an imbalance, such as by decreasing the number of elephants, it affects the whole ecosystem. “The entire ecosystem is at risk. My hope for this study is that it will provide a boost for those trying to curb overhunting and provide incentives to stop the wildlife trade,” said researcher Trevor Caughlin. Researchers at UF emphasize the importance of their study in the effort to help change the current situation.

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