170 bison could tackle CO2 emitted by 2 million cars, says study

In the heart of Romania’s Tarcu mountains, a remarkable ecological resurgence is underway. 

Over 170 European bison, once extinct in the region for over two centuries, now roam freely, reshaping ecosystems and potentially altering the course of climate change.

Recent research suggests that these amazing animals could be super helpful in reducing carbon pollution, maybe even as much as modern technology can.

The study, using a novel model developed by scientists at the Yale School of the Environment and funded by the Global Rewilding Alliance, shows how much carbon the bison’s habitats can soak up.

The bison’s return

European bison, which hadn’t been seen in Romania for more than 200 years, returned to the southern Carpathian mountains in 2014, thanks to the collaboration between Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania. 

Initially reintroduced with just over 100 individuals, the population has since flourished, swelling to more than 170, marking it as one of Europe’s largest free-roaming bison populations. But there’s still much room for more bison to spread out, as the land could hold as many as 450 of them.

Carbon capture potential

The study, yet to undergo peer review, reveals that the bison’s grazing activities across nearly 50 square kilometers of grasslands within the Tarcu mountains could potentially capture an additional 2 million tonnes of carbon annually. 

To give you an idea, it’s like saying the emissions from about 1.88 million regular American cars running on petrol. That’s a big help in fighting climate change.

Prof. Oswald Schmitz of the Yale School of the Environment, the report’s lead author, underscores the transformative role of bison in ecosystem dynamics.

“Bison influence grassland and forest ecosystems by grazing grasslands evenly, recycling nutrients to fertilize the soil, dispersing seeds to enrich the ecosystem, and compacting the soil to prevent stored carbon from being released,” he told The Guardian.

According to Schmitz, “Restoring these ecosystems can bring back balance, and ‘rewilded’ bison are some of the climate heroes that can help achieve this.”

Biodiversity conservation and economic opportunities

Bison, recognized as keystone species, orchestrate a symphony of ecological benefits besides storing carbon. Their grazing and browsing behaviors help maintain diverse landscapes comprising forests, scrub, grasslands, and microhabitats. 

Their comeback in the Tarcu mountains has caused a boom in tourism and businesses that focus on nature and rewilding projects.

Alexander Lees, a biodiversity expert at Manchester Metropolitan University, emphasizes the broader implications of bison reintroduction. “This study makes a convincing case for European bison reintroduction as a nature-based climate solution – one with major biodiversity conservation co-benefits,” he asserts.

Global significance

Magnus Sylvén, director of science policy practice at the Global Rewilding Alliance, underscores the transformative potential of nature restoration efforts. “This report is the first of its kind,” he states.

“This research opens up a whole new raft of options for climate policymakers around the world,” Sylvén further added.

Furthermore, Schmitz added that the research team has investigated other species, including tropical forest elephants, musk oxen, and sea otters, with promising results.

“Many of them show similar promise to these bison, often doubling an ecosystem’s capacity to draw down and store carbon, and sometimes much more,” he revealed. 

He emphasizes the importance of leveraging rewilding as a policy tool with massive potential for climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation on a global scale.

The research was published in the journal Nature.