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In a study in the Journal of Animal Ecology, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that the presence of critically endangered Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is associated with significantly more robust and abundant mammal communities in tropical forests.

Researchers analyzed camera trap data collected from 2017 to 2021 across tropical forests in Yunnan Province, China. The data included 9,822 independent wildlife events with Asian elephants being recorded 78 times. Among them, 6,001 mammal events were documented in areas with Asian elephants, and 3,821 were documented in areas without Asian elephants.

Researchers found that compared with areas without Asian elephants, areas with Asian elephants exhibited stronger mammal co-occurrence networks, showing more complex and resilient ecological interactions. They also found that Asian elephant presence was correlated with higher overall mammal abundance, particularly benefiting ungulates and primates.

At the species level, while some mammals temporarily avoided Asian elephants, most species maintained their daily activity patterns, suggesting that Asian elephants are not perceived as predators or intense competitors. The presence of Asian elephants substantially boosted the number of individuals within species but did not significantly increase species richness. Besides, the decline of Asian elephants could destabilize entire mammal networks.

"The extirpation of Asian elephants could severely impact ecological processes and animal community resilience. Protecting them is important to conserve Asia's tropical forests," said Quan Ruichang from XTBG.

This study highlights the overlooked role of Asian elephants in sustaining biodiversity beyond their well-known impact on vegetation. Researchers call for more research on how megaherbivores influence animal communities, and more efforts to protect Asian elephants as a keystone species for holistic forest conservation.