The Extinction of The African Elephant Will Be Much More Problematic Than You Think

The Extinction of The African Elephant Will Be Much More Problematic Than You Think

Chloe Burcell

"Elephants are a flagship species. People love elephants - we spend millions every year on cuddly toys, they are zoo favourites and who didn't cry during Dumbo? and yet we're pushing them closer to extinction every day” (Time to Get Real. If Elephants Go Extinct ... an Entire Ecosystem Will Go With Them, Gemma Davis). As many people know, elephants are on the brink of extinction due to poaching and climate change. While it is upsetting for many people to think of these beautiful, intelligent creatures disappearing off the face of Earth, the rippling effects of elephant extinction are much more disturbing. The loss of yet another keystone species in Africa may wreak havoc on the continent’s ecosystems, as well as on our livelihoods. Scientists and numerous research projects show that elephant extinction has the potential to wipe out african ecosystems, and cause detriment for humans, too. 

Elephant extinction will cause ecosystems in Africa to completely collapse. Countless fruit bearing trees rely solely on elephants in order to spread their seeds. Without the elephants, entire tree species will go extinct. Additionally, this will have serious effects on bonobos, chimps, birds, insects, bats and all other animals who live in trees, or eat the fruit from the trees. As one researcher stated, “For example, chimpanzees and bonobos in certain forest areas rely on the fruit of one of the elephant-dependent trees, Irvingia gabonensis, for months at a time” (What Happens When Forest Elephants are Wiped Out of An Ecosystem, Platt). Without these trees, countless bird, monkey, and insect species will be at risk of extinction as well. The loss of a keystone species in African ecosystems will destroy the way of life for countless creatures, and it is likely that many will die before they can adapt or find other ways to survive. Without elephants, an entire continent’s ecosystems will collapse, causing human life to be affected in the process. 

The extinction of African elephants will additionally create major problems for humans by increasing global carbon emissions, damaging the economy, and causing medicine shortages. Elephants frequently trample or crush plants in the grasslands and forests while on the move, causing less carbon dioxide to be released in the atmosphere. Without elephants, global carbon emissions will rise even further. As one article puts it, “In monetary terms, forest elephants represent a carbon storage service of 43 billion dollars” (Ecology, Environment, and Conservation, University of Saint Louis). In order to combat this, developing nations in Africa will have to find another way to reduce carbon emissions. This means that these nations will have to actually spend 43 billion or more dollars to re-conserve the carbon emissions, or face the natural consequences of global warming. By taking money out of national funds to fix the environment, this will be yet another setback African countries will be forced to endure. Additionally, fruit tree plants that will go extinct due to their dependency on elephants are valued for their medicinal properties in Africa. Many of these trees have been used as traditional medicine for generations. According to John Platt, the author of an article called, What Happens When Forest Elephants Are Wiped Out in an Ecosystem? , natives have little or no access to modern medicine, and they rely on traditional plants. Evidently, elephant extinction will affect all aspects of the environment and life for people in Africa. 

 The extinction of elephants will create a chain of severe effects that may not be accounted for until closer examination. It is important that as humans we attempt to comprehend our decisions and the potential gravity of our consequences, before it is too late. There are many solutions to fix the potential issues we may face if elephants go extinct, but these problems will not be easy to solve. The extinction of elephants alone threatens to uproot African ecosystems, and the world.  

Annotated Bibliography: 

Borders, Photograph Courtesy Elephants Without. “How Strong Is Africa's Last Elephant Stronghold?” Elephant Poaching on the Rise in Botswana, Dina Fine Maron, 13 June 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/06/elephants-poached-in-botswana/.

Davis, Gemma. “Time to Get Real. If Elephants Go Extinct ... an Entire Ecosystem Will Go With Them.” One Green Planet, One Green Planet, 26 Sept. 2016, www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/elephant-extinction-kills-an-ecosystem/.

"Elephant extinction will raise carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere." Ecology, Environment & Conservation, 9 Aug. 2019, p. 23. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A595434061/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=c45dd7a7. Accessed 25 Mar. 2020. 

Guyton, Jen. “Elephants Are Evolving to Lose Their Tusks.” National Geographic, Dina Fine Maron , 9 Nov. 2018,www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/wildlife-watch-news-tuskless-elephants-behavior-change/

Platt, John R. “What Happens When Forest Elephants Are Wiped Out in an Ecosystem?” Scientific American Blog Network, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2013 blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/forest-elephants-wiped-out-ecosystem/.