Sign in

EcosystemEngineer

@ecosystemengineer.bsky.social
947 followers 325 following 1K posts

Sam Osborne Advocating for all herbivores and megaherbivores, forest structures, vegetation structures, fast-track structural renovations, restoring ungulate migrations throughout all of Europe and beyond.

PostsRepliesMedia
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Look at this google streetview scene in Japan at map ref 44°00'52.5"N 142°58'55.8"E There's no sign of any herbivore activity here at all and because of this it barely functions as a dynamic habitat. The problem is that it looks beautiful and so people want to protect and duplicate it.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is brilliant news, thanks for posting it. I can't think of a better way of enabling conservation and ecological restoration to be self-funding. Plus it means that 40million km2 of forests might at long last get some life 'breathed' back into them.
110
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The wild herbivore density of 200kg/km2 is a global average and there are many places where it's far less, or even close to zero. Take a look on Google street-view at this location in Japan to see what "close to zero" looks like and realise that it's a world-wide issue. 44°11'32.3"N 141°55'34.9"E
110
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Herbivore density data.
130
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A lot of animal movement and 'animal presence' is governed by the features of the vegetation structures. Example- A random road in Belgium shows free passage for road-users, but no evidence what-so-ever of any animal presence, or movement through the vegetation. 1/2
121
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Sheep helping out on some much needed woodland restructuring work. Like most herbivores they're mixed feeders, so confining them to grasslands only deprives the livestock of key nutrients and deprives the landscape of their full ecosystem engineering capabilities.
020
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This data shows that wild mammals of all types are massively under-represented and especially in 40m km2 forests. Herbivores are primary consumers and convert vegetation into meat and fats, and this provides nutrition for predators. There just aren't enough wild herbivores to repopulate forests
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Saved an old apple tree. A heavy snow brought it down before christmas and with half the roots being pulled out a decision was made not to disturb them any more and prune what remained back into a viable tree.
041
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Livestock are the herbivores that evaded extinction and if it wasn't for the pastoralists there might not have been any left by now. I view them as our biggest ecological asset, because there really aren't enough wild herbivores to restore any degree of functionality to our ecosystem.
000
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
The Land use data is best viewed with the global mammal biomass figures. The problem here is not the data, it's the poor evaluation that many people invariably make.
130
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
I just got this from the 'other' platform, Pastoralist migrations compared with wild migrations. Even if the numbers aren't accurate it stilll paints a very clear picture.
110
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
This is an excellent resource, it's easy to use and you can get data read-outs on selected cities.
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Hi Steve. This map might help with connectivity issues and it would be a good way to get herbivores migrating again throughout most of Europe and even through urban areas. The Vias Pecuarias make a good model for creating/recreating some much needed wildlife infrastructure.
110
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
A random google streetview pic from Wales that I took last week. Lots of tree foliage, but with no animals to eat it, so no quality habitats and very little wildlife. I see the same situation in Japan, South America, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, North America, etc, etc.
110
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Are you sure about that? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Pl...
001
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
I have die-back (left) and healthy vibrant pollarded (right) ash growing 30 metres away from each other. I'm planning to pollard the die-back tree this year. Pollarding reduces the resource load on the tree and its root system and it simulates heavy browsing by (now extinct) mega-herbivores. 1/2
110
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
Let there be light.
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
On the edge of the Carpathians. Is there any grazing in the mountain forests? They look very similar to the empty ones here in Poland. left pic Romania, right pic Poland
120
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
This might help you. Hint, look at the top left hand corner.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
I've seen and know all the popular narratives and I repeat, they're flawed. @ourworldindata.org charts on global mammal biomass and land use prove this and while both are mostly used against livestock, this is because the data isn't being accurately evaluated. Do we want group-think or science?
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
We can speed the whole restructuring process up with targeted cell-grazing & Elephant Pruning as a preparation for rewilding, or just improvements in forests or woodlands based on any mega-herbivore and even the very biggest. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracer... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argenti...
141
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Cell-grazing makes it very easy, I've had sheep through my garden several times and in all seasons. They're great in the woodlands too.
020
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
Tree foliage as an uneaten food resource illustrates the condition of our highly distorted and fragmented food-web. Map reference 5°04'18.6"S 61°40'22.1"W
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
I've just been looking at it on streetview. It looks like some parts of it on the flood plain might be silted up from past floods. The arches look like they go a lot deeper and this would reduce the flow capacity. If the water gets too high it can create lift that will affect the weak parts.
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
No evidence of any herbivore activity here and with the only navigable routes through the "protected forest" being roads, which hampers access to water, it's unlikely there'll be any in the future. Not great for elephants or gaur, so no wonder their numbers are dwindling. It needs opening up.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Most of the world's herbivores are now in the livestock sector, occupying 32 million km2 of land. This, plus all the rest i.e. all 107 m-km2 of habitable land supports just 2% of total wild mammal biomass, and of that 2% some will be predators. 1/4
121
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
A map showing all the mega-herbivores and their migrations in South America 2025
120
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
A map showing all the mega-herbivores and their migrations in North America 2025
220
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
A map showing all the mega-herbivores and their migrations in Europe 2025
230
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
The Amazon is just like many other forests, i.e. minus its historic herbivores and mega-herbivores. The changes in structure take time, but the end result is a very unappealling habitat for most species. Pic from the article, what on earth can live in that mess? Empty forest syndrome is worldwide.
000
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
2. Do a plant and soil swap (if the law allows). Dig up a clump with a variety of plants, together with plenty of soil. A new site might not have all the soil biology the plants prefer, so taking that with the plants allows them both to spread naturally.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
See what's growing locally, in places that aren't mown or too disturbed. There are several ways to get them on-site. 1. Take seeds and then broadcast them shortly before grazing, that way they'll get to the soil surface before the livestock graze and trample.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Not far away in the same city a street corner hosts another opportunity for periodic grazing, bringing all the extra wildlife that can ony respond after grazing and trampling have taken place. Reuniting plants and herbivores in the heart of the city and perfect for the sheep from the farm charity
000
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
With some city dwellers having never seen a real live herbivore, urban vegetation of all kinds is ripe for periodic supervised cell grazing. This raised bed in Newcastle UK, could be growing native vegetation and there are miniture goats at the local city farm that could graze it. 1/2
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Not great quality but this Ural owl first appeared a couple of years ago, not long after carrying out structural work in the grasses and trees. Pics today 24 Feb 2025 in Polish Carpathians
032
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
I'm planning to run similar trials with saplings this year. The tall thin sapling (e.g. just above the G in Google, below) has poor proportions as a stand-alone tree. The plan is to pollard one at 5 or 6 feet and then remove it with a one foot cube of soil with a digger and relocate it locally.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Yes, but it's not just turf. Native vegetation should be close-by somewhere, such as road verges or on the edges of woodland and a cube of around 20 x 20 x 20 cm takes a few plants + ample soil and soil-life with no great disturbance to the roots.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
A little inspiration might help to speed up the process. Map ref 46°03'32.0"N 25°22'08.0"E is perfect wood pasture for a trial migration and the first elephants in a European river for over 10,000 years. This would get everyone's attention.
031
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
With AI we need to understand which definition of intelligence is the most accurate.
000
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Jason Mauck is carrying out some amazing innovations with intercropping. x.com/jasonmauck1/...
011
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Map ref 49.60047, 21.34544 Magura National Park, Poland. Image via Google street view. What are the wildlife supposed to eat in here? If there's no food they'll either go elsewhere, or reduce in numbers, or both. Ditto for millions of other locations around the world.
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Before, after and one year later. Aim for wide variations in the forest structures, so all wildlife are catered for. Regenerative farming feeds everyone and everything.
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
There's much more to it than just willow. Sheep, cattle and other livestock will selectively browse many different species of trees and plants, if we allow them to and each one is a valid part of their diet. They know what they're doing far better than we do.
100
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
These beds in Newcastle, UK could easily have native grasses and flowers and with hurdles be grazed by the minature goats from the local city farm charity. Bringing nature into town and a great chance to interact with the public. There are opportunities everywhere, but we ignore most of them.
020
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
000
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
Someone could do the calculations on their large body mass, the temps probably wouldn't be such a big issue in most places. Also look at how the ranges of forest elephants have become fragmented, we can develop low or no-conflict migrational routes that would link them all together. (wiki)
120
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
If I could mob graze elephants to recreate migrations throughout Europe or anywhere else starting tomorrow morning, I would. Ditto for Patagotitan (if they were still around) and they really are big.
010
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Or for a mesozoic forest ecologist: it was a major disturbance event.
040
EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Nowadays the megaloceros with its huge 3m+ antler-span wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the cave and it would also struggle to get a drink in the nearby Vezere river. In fact, most of Europe's forests could now be considered Megaloceros-Unfriendly.
130