Ecological study links large fauna recovery to small species decline

A study by the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, identifies a phenomenon termed ‘macrorewilding and microdefaunation’. While large vertebrates such as wolves, roe deer, and bears are returning to their former territories, there is a simultaneous and significant decline in smaller species, including insects, amphibians, and small birds.

Researchers suggest that both the return of large animals and the disappearance of smaller fauna share a common origin in the socioeconomic changes of the last century. Factors such as intensive agriculture, pesticide use, and climate change are driving this imbalance, shifting human pressure onto smaller, more vulnerable wildlife populations.