In an unexpected twist of nature’s ingenuity, scientists have discovered that communal bathroom habits of wild Andean camelids are helping mountain ecosystems adapt to climate change faster than previously thought possible. The finding offers a rare glimmer of hope in the race against rapidly melting glaciers.
The research, published in Scientific Reports, reveals how vicuñas – wild relatives of llamas – are accelerating plant growth in newly exposed mountain terrain through their social habit of creating shared dung piles, known to scientists as latrines.
“It’s interesting to see how a social behavior of these animals can transfer nutrients to a new ecosystem that is very nutrient poor,” explains Cliff Bueno de Mesquita, research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and co-first author of the study.
The research team’s findings, gathered from expeditions to sites up to 18,000 feet above sea level in the Peruvian Andes, paint a remarkable picture of nature’s adaptability. In areas where glaciers have recently retreated, leaving behind barren rock and gravel, these animal-created hotspots are jumpstarting life in what would otherwise remain a lifeless landscape for over a century.
The transformation is dramatic. While normal deglaciated soil contains a mere 1.5% organic matter after 85 years of exposure, the soil in vicuña latrines contains a stunning 62% organic matter. These nutrient-rich patches create microhabitats that buffer against the extreme temperature swings common at high altitudes, where temperatures drop below freezing nightly even during summer.
The impact extends far beyond just enriching the soil. These oases of life are attracting diverse wildlife, including rare species never before seen at such elevations and even large predators like pumas. The vicuñas themselves return to graze on the vegetation growing in their own latrines, creating a self-sustaining cycle of ecosystem development.
However, the researchers caution that while this natural process is helping some alpine organisms adapt, it may not be enough to keep pace with unprecedented climate change. “The vicuñas are probably helping some alpine organisms, but we can’t assume they’ll all be okay, because in Earth’s history, we’ve never seen climate change happen at this speed,” warns Bueno de Mesquita.
The stakes are particularly high in regions like the Andes, where melting glaciers threaten water security for millions. Between 2000 and 2019, the world’s glaciers lost approximately 267 billion tons of ice annually, with projections suggesting up to 68% of Earth’s glaciers could disappear if warming continues.
The study highlights how seemingly simple animal behaviors can have profound effects on ecosystem recovery. The vicuñas transport nutrients and plant seeds from lower elevations through their digestive systems, effectively creating fertile islands in otherwise barren terrain. These patches then serve as stepping stones for other species moving to higher elevations as temperatures warm.
While this natural process helps accelerate ecosystem development by over a century, the researchers emphasize that it still can’t match the unprecedented pace of modern climate change. “Current anthropogenic climate change is probably the most severe crisis our planet and all living things have faced in the past 65 million years,” Bueno de Mesquita notes.
The research underscores the intricate ways in which animals can help ecosystems adapt to environmental change, while also serving as a reminder of the urgent need to address the root causes of climate change itself.