Who would ever think that the pinguine guano could play a role in the fight against climate change? Yet it is precisely what emerges from a recent study by the University of Helsinki, published in the magazine Communications Earth & Environmentwhich throws new light on a curious atmospheric mechanism.
The protagonist is the Penguin of Adeliaa symbolic species ofAntarctic ecosystem. Its numerous colonies produce large quantities of dejections rich in ammoniaa substance that, once released in the air, can directly influence the formation of the clouds.
In a context such as Antarctica, where the air is extremely clean and particles free, ammonia represents a key ingredient for the creation of aerosoltiny particles on which the water vapor It can condense to form clouds.
Attention to changes in the population of penguins
According to the researchers, when the gases came from a colony of approx 60 thousand penguinsthe concentration of ammonia in the air increased beyond 1,000 times compared to the background value. And, surprisingly, the levels remained high even weeks after the animals had left the area: a sign that the guano continued to issue gases.
The clouds generated by this process have the ability to reflect sunlightthus contributing to a cooling of the earth’s surface. An effect that, although still being studied, could be significant to mitigate the reduction of ice to one of the most sensitive regions of climate change.
However, as the authors of the study point out, this natural phenomenon could be compromised by any changes in the population of penguinsin turn caused by the effects of global warming. It is therefore a delicate ecological balancewhich requires attention and protection.
This study confirms the importance of including processes natural biological in the climatic modelsto better understand the dynamics between ecosystems and atmosphere. As the researcher said Matthew Boyerthere are deep and often unexpected links between living species and atmospheric phenomena. A further reason to protect biodiversity, even where it might seem … not very fragrant.
