The drivers made a mistake. The bison is an unexpected rescue
Bison helps get rid of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A small herd is enough to bind CO22 from thousands of cars.
In 2014, a herd of European bison was released in the Romanian part of the Carpathians (Bison bonasus). This is a benefit not only for those interested, but also for us. Scientists have estimated that A herd of 170 large animals can help store in their home an amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to the emissions from 43,000 combustion cars. That's about 252 cars per bison per year.
The bison returned home
A herd of bison was released in the Țarcu Mountains in Romania. Of course, animals themselves do not suck greenhouse gases from the atmosphere – quite the contrary. However, their presence in the appropriate environment strongly stimulates plant growth, which favors the binding of carbon from the atmosphere in solid organic compounds.
The environment in which the herd was released is ideal for this purpose. The European bison lived in the Țarcu Mountains until 200 years ago. Since 2014, 100 individuals have been released here, and the herd has multiplied to 170 animals. It is currently one of the largest free-living European bison herds on the continent. Bisons have almost 50 km at their disposal2 in the wider part of the mountain range. The grassy area has the potential to accommodate up to 450 individuals.
Wild bisons save the climate
Observers have no doubt about the beneficial impact of bison on the flora. Converting bison herds to gasoline car emissions shows that reintroducing the species can help mitigate some of the effects of human activities. Bisons spread plant seeds, produce and spread huge amounts of natural fertilizer, force plants to grow faster, and while roaming they also compact the ground.. Even this last factor prevents the release of carbon already stored in the soil – the opposite of plowing fields.
The data given above, i.e. the annual emissions of just over 252 combustion cars per one member of the herd, come from a new calculation model and are average values - for bisons and for cars. The model was created at the Yale School of the Environment to estimate the amount of CO22that wild animals can help bind in ecosystems.
Scientists reported that A herd of bison can potentially help capture an additional 54,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. That's 9.8 times more than the area could bind without the bison's help. However, there is a large margin of uncertainty here, as much as 55%, because a lot depends on the health and age of the herd.
54 thousand tons of CO2 and this is the equivalent of the emissions of 43,000 “median” American cars. European models are often more economical, so this number would be higher.
Experts are sure that the model needs to be verified with field tests. This will also help determine how long it takes for the herd to reach maximum carbon fixation efficiency. Nor can it be expected that identical results could be achieved with bison on American prairies with different vegetation and soil.
Nevertheless, the study of the bison herd opened the way for further projects of this type. Experts are also looking at musk oxen, forest elephants and other large mammals. Many simulations show promising results. This should also be a signal for Poland to take care of our native bison.
