The Benefits that Local Animal Wildlife Provide for Humans
By Chase King and Sengen Meyer
Although it may go unnoticed, local animal wildlife provides a multitude of benefits to humans worldwide. Bats, bees, ants, and birds are just a few examples of animals that benefit both our environment and humans. Many of these animals provide insect control, human health benefits, healthy soil for growing crops, helps with decomposition, and telltale signs that the environment is unhealthy. Animals benefit us when they are conducting their normal jobs, what they do to survive.
Many people take the existence of birds for granted, and do not realize the importance of birds in our ecosystem, and how difficult everyday life would be without them. First off, birds provide a free method of pest control for farmers, which saves crops and money. Matt Johnson, a professor of wildlife habitat ecology at California’s Humboldt State University, estimates the value of birds’ pest-control at $125 per acre, which is about one-eighth of the total crop value averaging at $1,044 per acre (Audubon). Additionally, birds boost the economy by simply being around. Wildlife refuges across the world provide tourist attractions for the general public, including birders. Magee Marsh, a large wildlife refuge on the southwest shore of Lake Erie, attracts over 100,000 birders annually. Philip Xie, a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, estimated that in 2011, Magee Marsh along with 5 nearby bird watching sites generated over $26 million and created over 280 jobs. “We’ve effectively created a tourism season in what was the shoulder season,” says Kimberly Kaufman, executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (Audubon). Last but not least, birds assist the reproduction of plants. Birds consume seeds from a particular plant, and then some of the seeds will come out undigested in the birds droppings, thus creating more plants that we and other herbivorous animals can eat.
Correspondingly, many people don’t realize how many animals -- for example bats, bees, and ants -- help us and the environment we live in. Bees are important in pollinating plants, which helps them reproduce. If there were no bees there would be almost no food because they are the main pollinators. Ants stir up the soil and they also help with decomposition. When they dig tunnels, they aerate the soil and recycle nutrients, which gives plants healthy soil to grow in (Bardroff). Ants also help farmers because they reduce some of the need for chemical fertilizers and irrigation (Bardroff). According to One Green Planet, “A 2011 study concluded that in dry climates, ants and termites increased wheat crop yields by 36 percent. Ants have also been essential to production of coffee and chocolate” (Bardoff). All of those benefits exemplify how they help keep our environment in balance. Another animal that helps the environment is the bat. Bats also pollinate specific plants and certain bats help disperse seeds (Bardoff). Like ants, bats help farmers with pest control. Certain species of bat eat insects that eat crops reducing the need for chemical pesticides, which also help the farmer save money. Bats can also be a key indicator when the environment is not healthy ("Grow Wild").
We are constantly destroying the habitats of our local wildlife through pollution, deforestation, and construction, and are not aware that we are not just harming the animals, but also ourselves in the process. When we kill bees, we are preventing many plants to flower, which has an impact on what is available to eat. When we step on ants, we are causing farmers to buy more chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which seeps into rivers and eventually the ocean which pollutes the fish we eat. It is important that we keep these animals alive because they sustain our ecosystem. There are many animals in the local environment that benefit humans but a specific few to keep in mind are bees, bats, ants, and birds. Hurting animals is hurting the environment which is hurting you.
Works Cited
Bardroff, Jenna. "Humans Would Not Exist Without These 5 Animals." One Green Planet. One Green Planet, 5 Sept. 2014. Web. 1 June 2015. <http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/animals-that-help-us-to-survive/>.
"Ecosystem Services." Ecosystem Services - National Wildlife Federation. National Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015. <http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Ecosystem-Services.aspx>.
"Grow Wild." Insects and Animals. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015. <https://www.growwilduk.com/content/insects-and-animals>.
Yeoman, Barry. "What Do Birds Do for Us?" Audubon. National Audubon Society, 08 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 May 2015. <http://www.audubon.org/news/what-do-birds-do-us>.
Although it may go unnoticed, local animal wildlife provides a multitude of benefits to humans worldwide. Bats, bees, ants, and birds are just a few examples of animals that benefit both our environment and humans. Many of these animals provide insect control, human health benefits, healthy soil for growing crops, helps with decomposition, and telltale signs that the environment is unhealthy. Animals benefit us when they are conducting their normal jobs, what they do to survive.
Many people take the existence of birds for granted, and do not realize the importance of birds in our ecosystem, and how difficult everyday life would be without them. First off, birds provide a free method of pest control for farmers, which saves crops and money. Matt Johnson, a professor of wildlife habitat ecology at California’s Humboldt State University, estimates the value of birds’ pest-control at $125 per acre, which is about one-eighth of the total crop value averaging at $1,044 per acre (Audubon). Additionally, birds boost the economy by simply being around. Wildlife refuges across the world provide tourist attractions for the general public, including birders. Magee Marsh, a large wildlife refuge on the southwest shore of Lake Erie, attracts over 100,000 birders annually. Philip Xie, a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, estimated that in 2011, Magee Marsh along with 5 nearby bird watching sites generated over $26 million and created over 280 jobs. “We’ve effectively created a tourism season in what was the shoulder season,” says Kimberly Kaufman, executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (Audubon). Last but not least, birds assist the reproduction of plants. Birds consume seeds from a particular plant, and then some of the seeds will come out undigested in the birds droppings, thus creating more plants that we and other herbivorous animals can eat.
Correspondingly, many people don’t realize how many animals -- for example bats, bees, and ants -- help us and the environment we live in. Bees are important in pollinating plants, which helps them reproduce. If there were no bees there would be almost no food because they are the main pollinators. Ants stir up the soil and they also help with decomposition. When they dig tunnels, they aerate the soil and recycle nutrients, which gives plants healthy soil to grow in (Bardroff). Ants also help farmers because they reduce some of the need for chemical fertilizers and irrigation (Bardroff). According to One Green Planet, “A 2011 study concluded that in dry climates, ants and termites increased wheat crop yields by 36 percent. Ants have also been essential to production of coffee and chocolate” (Bardoff). All of those benefits exemplify how they help keep our environment in balance. Another animal that helps the environment is the bat. Bats also pollinate specific plants and certain bats help disperse seeds (Bardoff). Like ants, bats help farmers with pest control. Certain species of bat eat insects that eat crops reducing the need for chemical pesticides, which also help the farmer save money. Bats can also be a key indicator when the environment is not healthy ("Grow Wild").
We are constantly destroying the habitats of our local wildlife through pollution, deforestation, and construction, and are not aware that we are not just harming the animals, but also ourselves in the process. When we kill bees, we are preventing many plants to flower, which has an impact on what is available to eat. When we step on ants, we are causing farmers to buy more chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which seeps into rivers and eventually the ocean which pollutes the fish we eat. It is important that we keep these animals alive because they sustain our ecosystem. There are many animals in the local environment that benefit humans but a specific few to keep in mind are bees, bats, ants, and birds. Hurting animals is hurting the environment which is hurting you.
Works Cited
Bardroff, Jenna. "Humans Would Not Exist Without These 5 Animals." One Green Planet. One Green Planet, 5 Sept. 2014. Web. 1 June 2015. <http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/animals-that-help-us-to-survive/>.
"Ecosystem Services." Ecosystem Services - National Wildlife Federation. National Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015. <http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Ecosystem-Services.aspx>.
"Grow Wild." Insects and Animals. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015. <https://www.growwilduk.com/content/insects-and-animals>.
Yeoman, Barry. "What Do Birds Do for Us?" Audubon. National Audubon Society, 08 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 May 2015. <http://www.audubon.org/news/what-do-birds-do-us>.