World Animal Welfare Day is celebrated on October 4 to increase awareness about the importance of animals. The day is celebrated across the globe for raising awareness regarding enhancing animal welfare standards. It is considered to be a very important day for redefining animal rights that includes their recognition and protection.
Climate change majorly impacts animal welfare. 90% of orangutan habitat got destroyed over the last two decades due to climatic changes.
To understand the real significance of World Animal Welfare Day, we need to talk about the importance of animals in the ecosystem first. So, let us briefly discuss the key role of different animals in the ecosystem.
Significance of Animals in the Ecosystem
Here’s how animals play an important role in the ecosystem:
1. Creating a Water Source
Elephants are considered to be among the most intelligent species on earth. They serve an important role in the maintenance of the ecosystem. During the dry season, the elephants play a great role in creating water sources.
The elephants are capable of digging water from underground with the help of their large tusks. This source of water is important for many other animals present in the ecosystem. Besides, elephants create vegetation gaps in the forest. This helps the new plants to grow and the other animals can also use these gaps to travel.
2. Maintaining the Nature’s Balance
Speaking of ecological value, birds play one of the key roles in the ecosystem. It is said that an ecologist’s favourite animal is a bird due to its sensitivity to habitat change. Processes like pest control, pollination of plants as well as the dispersion of seeds are some of the daily tasks that birds regularly do. Insects might pose a bigger problem for the plants and the birds minimise them by feeding on insects. Besides adding colour to the environment, the birds contribute to some important steps in the life cycle by playing various key roles.
3. Reliable Pollinating Agent
Amazingly, a large part of the world’s food depends on the pollination process. Pollination stimulates the growth of crops. Bees are the pillars of pollination. They are not only known for stinging but serve important purposes as well.
As they are buzzing from one plant to another, they serve as powerful pollinators who help in pollinating the grains of numerous plants along with them. The pollen grains are attached to the limbs and sting of the bees and are carried to other parts. Furthermore, researchers have also found out that bees are a great detector as well. Bees also have the power to detect toxic chemicals and landmine presence when released in a particular area.
4. Friend of Soil
Considering the balance and the maintenance of the ecosystem, tiny creatures like ants are mightier when it comes to keeping the ecosystem in check. These creatures are friends of the soil. They are seen digging deep into the soil in search of shelters and during this time, the soil gets aerated and recycled with enriched nutrients. Thus, the soil becomes healthy and facilitates good growth of the plants.
As they gather seeds for their food and take it underground, the seeds often sprout and germinate to grow into new plants. It is amusing how such a small action contributes to such essential processes in the ecosystem.
5. Combats Climate Change
Beavers are woodland creatures which are found to be extremely helpful in combating climate change effects. These animals can adapt to regulating ecosystems.
Their special feature of damming and gnawing has many benefits like mitigating wildfire and flooding damage, preserving the aquatic population and conserving freshwater reservoirs.
6. Helping Increase Plantation
You often see squirrels running in your neighbourhood. They are mostly known to be living inside the forests and take up the key role of planting numerous trees unknowingly. They are mostly known for burying nuts underground to store them. This leads to the growth of millions of nut trees from the holes about which the squirrels forget. The nuts take roots and develop into trees which are important features of ecosystem sustainability.
Conclusion
Animals have many significant roles within an ecosystem. World Animal Welfare Day can be considered a strong movement that pushes the major countries of the world towards making a better future for animals. The day primarily focuses on animal care by ensuring safety and shelter for animals. Now that we have discussed in detail the significance of animals in an ecosystem, let us jot down the main pointers.
From the above discussion, it is quite obvious that animals are very essential for the ecosystem. Without animals, the existence of humans is nearly impossible.
