Could veggie animals help save the Arctic?: 20-08-2008
Large herbivorous animals such as caribou and musk-oxen could help slow the effects of global warming in the Arctic, according to scientists.
The animals graze on small woody shrubs and can help keep the plants' growth under control.
By doing so, they are limiting the level of heat the Arctic absorbs from the sun, thus limiting the damage of global warming.
Pennsylvania State University researcher Eric Post explained that the situation should be monitored with interest.
"Careful management and conservation of existing populations of musk-oxen and caribou, as well as other large herbivores, should be a priority in plans to mitigate the effects of climate change on ecosystems," he told National Geographic.
"Until now, these animals seem to have been regarded more as background noise than as an active component of the ecosystem's response to warming."
Although not an answer to global warming, the animals' work in the Arctic could prolong the life of the ice and help fend off rising sea levels.
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