Why do rewilding projects often involve big herbivores like Bos taurus (cattle), Equus ferus caballus (horses), and Bison bonasus (European bison)? It’s because these large grazers are nature’s landscapers, and they’re pretty good at their job. They are key players in keeping ecosystems balanced and biodiverse, even in large-scale projects without the need for major human intervention. So, what’s the deal with these big plant eaters? Herbivores don’t just eat plants; they sculpt the landscape with their eating habits. By consuming different plants, they open up the vegetation, allowing a variety of plants to grow. Each species has its own preferred food. This selective eating leads to a patchwork of different vegetation, which offers a more diverse habitat for other species, including birds, mammals, and amphibians. The patchy vegetation created by herbivores’ eating behavior and movement is also beneficial for fire management in natural areas. To prevent fires from spreading rapidly over large areas, humans often cut wide strips of vegetation. When herbivores break up the vegetation cover, they can largely replace the need for these clear-cutting fire prevention measures.
Spreading the seeds
Having large herbivores roam natural spaces also helps with seed distribution. As they move through bushes, grasses, and trees, seeds get stuck in their fur and fall in diverse areas, often at greater distances than wind could carry them. Some plants have even evolved to rely on animals for seed dispersal. The absence of large herbivores in our natural landscapes has made it difficult for these plants to spread their seeds, leading to a reduction in their populations. Additionally, the hoof marks, resting spots, and cleaning areas of herbivores create important structures like wallows and trails that turn into habitats for insects. They’re quite literally an environmental multipurpose tool.
natural fertilizer
And let’s not forget about their precious poo. Their dung is like gold for the soil, packed with essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, acting as a fertilizer. When the dung breaks down, it releases these nutrients back into the soil, enriching it and supporting healthier vegetation. The dung also carries beneficial soil microbes that help plants absorb nutrients from the ground, giving soil fertility an important boost. It’s also exactly what beetles and other bugs like to eat. Speaking of dinner, by consuming seeds and fruits, herbivores’ dung becomes another important factor in the seed distribution system of an ecosystem. Lastly, it creates a microhabitat for dung beetles and other decomposers, which live in it, consume it, and break it down further, helping with nutrient dispersal.
the circle of life for the ecosystem
We know it sounds sad, but when one of those furry friends passes away, their carcasses provide essential nutrients and food for scavengers. That’s the circle of life that Simba tragically found out about. Both of these natural processes aid in the circulation of nutrients in the ecosystem and used to be important natural occurrences. However, as Europe has become more populated over time and large herbivores have slowly disappeared from the landscapes, the benefits of carcasses for the environment have largely been lost. These benefits are difficult to restore, not only because the sight of a dead horse or cow is disturbing to most of us, but also because rules and regulations require the removal of dead animal bodies. With humans present even in the remoter areas of Europe, the spread of disease to humans and farm animals poses a significant challenge to the restoration of this life cycle.
Rewilding with herbivores in europe
A number of rewilding projects have already showcased the transformative impact of large herbivores. Take Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley, for example, where Tauros (a modern attempt to recreate the extinct aurochs, Bos primigenius) and Sorraia horses have been reintroduced since 2020 and 2018, respectively. These animals are already thriving in their roles by grazing the landscape, reducing wildfire risk, and helping with seed distribution.
And Portugal isn’t the only place catching on. In the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, for example, reintroduced bison (Bison bonasus) are partly responsible for an impressive increase in biodiversity by 30-50% in the areas where these ancient animals have been reintroduced, thanks to all the aforementioned factors. Moreover, for human inhabitants of the area, the reintroduction of bison has significantly boosted eco-tourism! For example, the Armeniș region in Romania, one of the main rewilding sites, has seen a 40% increase in visitors since the bison reintroduction began, providing a substantial economic boost to the local communities.
In Wild Ennerdale, Cumbria, free-roaming cattle and ponies have helped to restore natural floodplains by trampling and grazing, breaking up compacted soil, allowing water to infiltrate more effectively, and resulting in wetland plants living healthy, long, and happy lives. In fact, studies show that the numbers and diversity of these thriving wetland plants have increased by a heart-warming 30%!
These stories demonstrate how large herbivores are seamlessly reshaping and revitalizing landscapes across Europe, turning previously stressed and depleted areas into habitats for all sorts of wild animals and plants. So next time you see a big herbivore, remember—they’re not just eating. They’re doing important work, reshaping valleys, forests, mountains, dunes, and meadows in ways that our depleted ecosystems and their inhabitants really need.
