A new study in Romania has proven that bison can help tackle climate problems. The study began with the 2014 reintroduction of European bison, which disappeared in Romania about 200 years ago, into the country’s Targu Mountains. The organizations ‘Rewilding Europe’ and WWF Romania brought the bison back.
A herd of 170 bison can capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from nearly 2 million cars and store it in the soil, according to a study conducted by scientists at the Yale School of Ecology.
“Bison usually feed on grass, leaves and vines. Although scary to look at, this bison is a predator that does not take its life. These bisons feed on wild plants, shrubs and trees that roam the forest.
Also, its waste after digestion helps recycle nutrients to fertilize the soil. They prevent the release of stored carbon dioxide into the soil,” said Oswald Schmitz of the Yale School of Economics.
“For millions of years, these animals have coexisted with forest ecosystems and grasslands. But when this bison species decreases, more carbon is released in the land. In that way, by restoring the ecosystem, the balance can be regained. The bisons that returned to Romania are climate heroes,” said the scientist who carried out the study. is there
In addition to bison, Schmitz’s Yale team carefully studied nine other animals. In terms of carbon tolerance, bison and some additional species are said to reduce carbon dioxide in the soil.
