Recognizing Wildlife’s Contributions to People
New research, led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with contributions from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment (IonE), highlights the often overlooked roles wildlife play in supporting human well-being. Published in the inaugural issue of Nature Reviews Biodiversity, the study explores how wildlife contribute to many of nature’s benefits to people (NCP) – from regulating ecosystems to inspiring cultural identities.
The paper, titled “Wildlife’s contributions to people,” identifies wildlife as a critical yet underrepresented component of NCP – a framework increasingly used in conservation policy and management.
Becky Chaplin-Kramer, global biodiversity lead scientist at WWF and IonE principal research scientist, emphasizes the importance of addressing this gap. “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 told WWF. “We have to account for the roles wildlife play across ecosystems, and the impact of their decline on human well-being in conservation policy and management.”
Chaplin-Kramer is the lead author of the study, which found that wildlife supports at least 12 of the 18 NCP categories defined by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). These contributions range from material benefits, such as food and livelihoods, to non-material values including ecotourism, cultural identity, and inspiration. Wildlife also helps maintain ecosystem balance by pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, and managing prey populations, among other roles.
Despite this importance, wildlife’s contributions are often overlooked in research and policy. Co-author Colleen Miller, IonE postdoctoral fellow in global change ecology and data science, highlighted the paper’s aim to address these gaps. “Wildlife contributes to many essential aspects of nature’s benefits to people, yet it’s largely underrepresented in both science and policy,” Miller says. “This paper calls on researchers and policymakers to think more inclusively about the ways wildlife sustain ecosystems and human well-being.”
One key finding is the geographic and cultural bias in existing research on wildlife’s contribution to people. Miller noted that most studies focus on charismatic species (such as polar bears or elephants) or high-income countries, leaving significant knowledge gaps. “We’d like to see more equitable research that includes underrepresented regions and perspectives,” she said. “Understanding how wildlife contributes to all peoples is crucial for sustainable conservation strategies.”
The authors also emphasize the need for advancements in monitoring and modeling wildlife’s contributions. Traditional methods, such as tagging and camera traps, remain valuable, but are labor-intensive and geographically limited. Emerging technologies like environmental DNA (eDNA), satellite data, and acoustic sensors show potential for improving wildlife research globally.
The consequences of overlooking wildlife in conservation efforts should not be underestimated. For example, declining vertebrate populations – which have decreased by an average of 73% since 1970, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report – threaten ecosystem stability. The long-term loss of wildlife could lead to diminished benefits for people, particularly for Indigenous and resource-dependent communities.
“Wildlife are key to maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting many of the benefits we depend on,” Miller says. “If we lose wildlife, ecosystems will likely function very differently, and that could have significant consequences for the people who rely on them.”
Dana Hernandez is the Communications & Editorial Manager at the Institute on the Environment.
