Why policy should recognize the benefits of wildlife

A sea otter floats on its back among kelp in the ocean

Wildlife provides vital benefits to people in innumerable ways, from pollinating plants so we have food to eat to dispersing seeds so forests can help regulate our climate. However, new WWF-led research shows that these important contributions are vastly underrepresented across science and policy discussions. If not addressed, this oversight will have detrimental consequences for people and the planet.

While the concept of nature’s contribution to people is well-established in science, business, and policy, it often assumes that protecting a habitat or ecosystem will automatically preserve the benefits people rely on, according to the study published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity. This assumption overlooks the importance of wildlife and its myriad roles in our own survival. In other words, we need to protect wildlife intentionally and not just the places where animals live. 

A beaver dam along the Kwethluk River at Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Beaver dams help create important freshwater ecosystems.

“If people don’t recognize the full spectrum of values wildlife offers our society, including the sometimes ‘invisible’ benefits—they might miss the actions needed to protect it,” said Becky Chaplin-Kramer, WWF’s global biodiversity lead scientist and lead author of the paper. “We have to account for the roles wildlife play across ecosystems, and the impact of their decline on human well-being in conservation policy and management.”

Wildlife provides both material and non-material benefits. Healthy populations of wildlife can provide food and materials for livelihoods, such as for clothing or medicinal uses. Beyond these material benefits, wildlife also supports human well-being and the economy through ecotourism, fostering a sense of wonder, and their spiritual relevance across cultures. When we see healthy populations of wildlife, we see healthier ecosystems, better equipped to deal with disease and disasters.

“The value of wildlife goes beyond physical metrics like a kilogram of meat or a ton of carbon stored,” said Robin Naidoo, WWF’s lead wildlife scientist, and co-author of the paper. It’s spiritual, and experiences with wildlife can bring much enjoyment and connection with nature to people."

Unfortunately, many wildlife populations are declining. WWF’s Living Planet Report shows that monitored vertebrate populations have shrunk by an average of 73% since 1970.

“These numbers demonstrate a loss of genetic diversity that weakens wildlife resilience against climate change, disease, and habitat loss. Declines in the number of individual animals or plants can upset entire ecosystems, with far-reaching consequences for people and economies,” Chaplin-Kramer said.

Think not just about the place, but the life inside the place

Preserving and restoring habitat is critical to helping wildlife and people thrive. However, we also need plans specifically designed to protect species if we want to continue to benefit from their contributions.

Wildlife faces threats that habitat protection alone cannot resolve. Poaching, overfishing, pollution, invasive species, and the climate crisis impact populations. We need to bridge the gap between plans to conserve ecosystems and plans to protect species. 

“Without species, places can’t perform their functions properly which will impact people.”

Becky Chaplin-Kramer
Global Biodiversity Lead Scientist, Global Science, WWF

“Think not just about the place, but the life inside the place,” Chaplin-Kramer said. “If we preserve the places without attending to the species that live there, we might be preserving increasingly empty places. Without species, places can’t perform their functions properly which will impact people.”

One well-known example of the impact of species loss is the case of North American sea otters. The 19th-century fur trade decimated their populations, causing an explosion in sea urchins, which destroyed kelp forests. This had dire consequences for fish populations, local fishing communities, and coastal ecosystems, making the area more vulnerable to storms and erosion and reducing the resources available to Indigenous communities that relied on kelp.

“The long-term loss of wildlife will lead to declines in its contributions to people and ultimately harm their well-being,” says Nathan Bennett, WWF’s global oceans lead scientist and co-author of the paper. “This is especially true for Indigenous Peoples and resource-dependent communities that depend heavily on wildlife for subsistence harvesting. Wildlife can also support local ecotourism businesses and jobs.”

Incorporating wildlife into policy

The research calls for greater recognition of wildlife’s contributions in global biodiversity policies, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework—a historic agreement committing nations to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. By connecting wildlife to the benefits they provide, policymakers and wildlife managers can generate broader support for conservation efforts, ensuring these benefits continue.

The study also highlights gaps in large-scale monitoring and modeling, emphasizing that advancements in satellite technology, AI, environmental DNA, acoustic sensing, and citizen science could improve knowledge and data, ensuring conservation resources are deployed efficiently. Such advancements however require a greater injection of funding.

“It’s been two years since the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and we’re still lacking a clear path to mobilizing the resources needed for its implementation,” said Wendy Elliott, interim practice leader for biodiversity at WWF. “At the resumed session for international talks in Rome next month, leaders must remember the vast ‘invisible’ benefits of wildlife that support our societies, and the risks we face if the biodiversity crisis is not addressed. Equally urgent is agreement on a financial package that meets the immediate needs of countries to safeguard these benefits for current and future generations.”

Learn more about why saving wildlife is critical to human survival.