Elephants Depart, Power Fades: The Full Picture of "Functional Decline" in African Ecosystems - The "Invisible Blackout" Happening in Africa

A study by the University of Oxford and others reports that the "energy flow" in ecosystems driven by African birds and mammals has decreased to about 64% of its pre-colonial levels, representing a reduction of approximately one-third. Large herbivores, in particular, have experienced a 72% decline. While the decrease is significant in urban and agricultural areas, even strict protected areas have not been able to fully safeguard these ecosystems. The paper proposes a metric that measures "what and how much animals are doing" rather than just "how many species exist," which could aid in prioritizing recovery strategies and policies. On social media, there have been calls for rewilding and shifts in funding and land use.