The Tortoise Engineers

Aldabra tortoise

It's easy to become overwhelmed by the distressing news coming from Washington, D.C. day after day. And in a recent blog post I promised not to dwell on these matters but to offer educational or even uplifting news items. So, here's a story that fits that bill and made me smile.

The truth is that if we leave our hands off nature, it takes care of itself. OK, agreed, that's a bit pollyannish given that the size of the human footprint largely impacts natural systems everywhere (e.g. pollution, invasive species, climate change, etc.). But occasionally life finds a way to show us what was and still can be.

Take the case of Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean. A Smithsonian magazine article describes how some 150,000 giant tortoises surviving there (tortoises on other Indian Ocean atolls were decimated by humans long ago) serve as architects that provide balance and stability to the atoll's ecosystem.

Long-term research of the island's ecology reveals complex networks of herbivores and detritivores. Because of the tortoises' role in seed dispersal of plants and eco-engineering, researchers are rewilding adjacent islands (where endemic tortoises are extinct) to retore ancient forests lost to logging.

How cool is this!