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Does the planet need snails?
Gardeners might see snails as their enemy, but worldwide there are tens of thousands of snail species, all with a role in maintaining the balance of life of earth.
Snails are a major enemy of gardeners around the world, invading vegetable patches and gobbling prize plants. CrowdScience listener Alexandre reckons he’s removed thousands of them from his garden, which got him wondering: apart from eating his garden to the core, what’s their wider role in nature? Would anyone or anything miss them if they suddenly disappeared?
And for that matter, what about other creatures? We all know how complex biodiversity is, but it seems that some animals are more important than others in maintaining the balance of life on earth. Is there anything that could go extinct without having knock-on effects?
CrowdScience heads to the Hawaiian mountains, a snail diversity hotspot, to discover the deep value of snails to native ecosystems there. Researchers and conservationists are working together to protect these highly endangered snails, and their natural habitats, from multiple threats.
We hear why all snails – even the ones munching Alexandre’s petunias – have their role to play in the natural world, and get to grips with cascading extinctions: how the loss of a single species can trigger unpredictable effects on a whole ecosystem.
With contributions from Imogen Cavadino, Dr Norine Yeung, Dr Kenneth Hayes, Dr David Sischo, Jan Kealoha, and Professor Ian Donohue.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton
Produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service
[Image credit: Getty Images]
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- Fri 8 Oct 2021 19:32GMTBBC World Service
- Sat 9 Oct 2021 01:32GMTBBC World Service Europe and the Middle East
- Sun 10 Oct 2021 01:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 11 Oct 2021 03:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia, South Asia & East Asia only
- Mon 11 Oct 2021 04:32GMTBBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Mon 11 Oct 2021 08:32GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 11 Oct 2021 12:32GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia & West and Central Africa
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