Regeneration & Resilience

Study Highlights ‘Invisible’ Wildlife Benefits We Lose by Not Protecting Biodiversity

New research reveals that the vital benefits wildlife provides to people’s everyday lives are vastly underrepresented across science and policy discussions — an oversight that could have devastating consequences for society and the economy.

Published 6 hours ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Harry Huizing

Led by WWF and published Wednesday in the inaugural issue of Nature Reviews Biodiversity, the study shows that while the concept of Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP) is well-established in science, business and policy, it often assumes that protecting a habitat or ecosystem will automatically preserve its benefits to people. This assumption overlooks the importance of wildlife species and the myriad roles they play.

The research calls for greater recognition of wildlife’s contributions in global biodiversity policies, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework developed at COP15. The authors assert that by connecting wildlife to the benefits they provide, policymakers and wildlife managers can generate broader support for continued conservation efforts.

“WWF’s latest Living Planet Report shows that monitored vertebrate populations have shrunk by an average of 73 percent since 1970,” says Becky Chaplin-Kramer, Global Biodiversity Lead Scientist at WWF and lead author of the paper. “These figures demonstrate a loss of genetic diversity that weakens wildlife resilience against climate change, disease and habitat loss. Declines in the number of individual animals or plants can upset entire ecosystems, with far-reaching consequences for people and economies.”

WWF’s new study echoes the findings of two recent, landmark reports:

The UK Government’s 2021 review of The Economics of Biodiversity report called for the incorporation of natural capital accounting and proper valuation of ecosystem services into all national accounting systems, as well as for eschewing GDP in favor of metrics that embed natural resources into economic accounting as a more accurate and inclusive measure of wealth.
And a 2023 Taskforce on Nature Markets report asserted the need for an unprecedented shift towards accurately pricing nature in global markets to deliver on critical nature, climate and equity goals — and offered seven recommendations for doing so.

Out of the 18 NCP categories defined by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the research found that at least 12 are directly supported by wildlife. These range from material benefits — such as food and livelihoods from fish or game species — to non-material values including ecotourism, medicinal uses, cleaner air in cities or a feeling of wellbeing. As explored in a report accompanying the paper, titled Nature’s Technicians, wildlife also play critical roles in regulating ecosystems — such as controlling prey populations, pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, improving water quality, controlling erosion and reducing disease risk — as seen with species including bats, beavers, monkeys, sharks and vultures.

“If people don’t recognize the full spectrum of values wildlife offers our society, including the sometimes ‘invisible’ benefits, they might miss the actions needed to protect it,” Chaplin-Kramer adds. “We have to account for the roles wildlife play across ecosystems, and the impact of their decline on human wellbeing in conservation policy and management."

One well-studied example of the impact of species loss is the case of North American sea otters. The 19th-century fur trade decimated their populations — causing an explosion in sea urchins, which destroyed kelp forests. This had dire consequences for fish populations, local fishing communities and coastal ecosystems — making the area more vulnerable to storms and erosion and reducing the resources available to Indigenous communities that relied on kelp.

“The long-term loss of wildlife will lead to declines in its contributions to people and ultimately harm their wellbeing,” says Nathan Bennett, WWF’s Global Oceans Lead Scientist and co-author of the paper. “This is especially true for Indigenous Peoples and resource-dependent communities that depend heavily on wildlife for subsistence harvesting. Wildlife can also support local ecotourism businesses and jobs.”

The study also highlights gaps in large-scale monitoring and modeling — emphasizing that advancements in satellite technology, AI, environmental DNA, acoustic sensing and citizen science could improve knowledge and data, ensuring conservation resources are deployed efficiently. Such advancements, however, require a greater injection of funding.

“It’s been two years since the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and we’re still lacking a clear path to mobilizing the resources needed for its implementation,” adds Wendy Elliott, Interim Practice Leader for Biodiversity at WWF. “At the resumed session for COP16 in Rome next month, parties must remember the vast ‘invisible’ benefits of wildlife that support our societies and the risks we face if the biodiversity crisis is not addressed. Equally urgent is agreement on a financial package that meets the immediate needs of countries to safeguard these benefits for current and future generations.”