Ludmila Rattis: How poop turns into forests

How poop turns into forests

Did you know the world's largest tropical forest is partly formed by seeds emerging from poop? Ecologist Ludmila Rattis reveals the surprisingly fruitful benefits of letting nature take care of its own business, sharing how the digestive habits of tapirs — pig-like creatures that roam Amazonia — spread seeds that help regenerate the forest and promote climate resilience worldwide. (Even nature's waste is put to good use!)

Nature’s most effective gardeners may be tapirs, whose fruit-filled diets and long forest walks scatter hundreds of seeds wherever they roam. Just one pile of tapir dung can contain over 700 seeds from more than 20 plant species, nurturing new trees resilient to drought and climate shifts. By moving seeds into degraded areas, tapirs and their allies like dung beetles replant forests and boost ecosystem health. Their unnoticed labor shows how wildlife helps heal the world’s largest tropical forests.