Echidnas move eight trailer-loads of soil a year helping fight climate change

By David John Eldridge, Professor of Dryland Ecology, UNSW
After 200 years of European farming practices, Australian soils are in poor shape – depleted of nutrients and organic matter, including carbon.
This is bad news for both soil health and efforts to address global warming.
The native Australian echidna may hold part of the solution. Echidnas dig pits, furrows and depressions in the soil while foraging for ants.
Our research has revealed the significant extent to which this soil "engineering" could benefit the environment.
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The native Australian echidna may hold part of the solution.(Zoos Victoria/Amie Hindson)
Echidnas' digging traps leaves and seeds in soil. This helps improve soil health, promotes plant growth and keeps carbon in the soil, rather than the atmosphere.

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