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How Animals Shape Our World As Architectures

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Author Alana Theron, BSc in Biodiversity and Ecology

Beaver
Beaver showing its orange-colored teeth. Image by panthermedia via Depositphotos.
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Animals don’t just live in their environments—they build and reshape them. A global study led by Professor Gemma Harvey from Queen Mary University of London has identified over 600 species that physically alter landscapes. From beavers creating wetlands to termites building mounds visible from space, these animals play a crucial role in shaping the world around us.

A Study That Changes Perspectives

Elephant
Elephant. Image by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this study is the first to analyze how animals influence Earth’s surface at a global scale. The research highlights how species across freshwater and land ecosystems modify landscapes, sometimes rivaling the effects of natural disasters like floods. The impact of these animal architects is more significant than scientists previously imagined.

From Tiny Creatures to Large-Scale Builders

Ant
Matabele Ants, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. These ants raid termite nests. Here they are shown carrying their prey back to their own nest. Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Termites construct towering mounds that regulate temperature and moisture. Beavers, often called “ecosystem engineers,” create dams that control water flow, forming habitats for countless other species. Even hippos shape river systems by carving channels through wetlands. These activities show how animal behaviors drive geological change over time.

Nature’s Ongoing Construction Projects

A close-up of a beaver in a pond, showing its prominent teeth as it holds a piece of wood, displaying its characteristic behavior.
Beavers, nature’s engineers, build dams that not only shape ecosystems but also help store carbon, playing a crucial role in climate regulation. Photo by Denitsa Kireva via pexels

The way animals alter landscapes isn’t random—it’s an essential part of ecosystem health. Beavers’ dams prevent soil erosion, termites enrich soil with nutrients, and prairie dogs aerate the ground, improving plant growth. Without these species, entire ecosystems could collapse or dramatically change.

Conservation and the Role of Animal Engineers

A group of African forest elephants walking through a dry landscape, with several adult elephants and calves moving together as a family.
African forest elephants, often referred to as nature’s gardeners, play a vital role in maintaining forest ecosystems and combating climate change through their feeding habits and seed dispersal. Photo by Frans van Heerden via pexels

Understanding how animals shape the land is crucial for conservation efforts. By protecting species like beavers and elephants, we also preserve the landscapes they help maintain. The study emphasizes that animal-driven changes should be recognized and considered in environmental management strategies.

A Planet Shaped by Life

fire ant mound
Large red fire ant pile in the grass in the yard in the winter.

For centuries, humans have focused on how natural forces like wind and water shape the Earth. This study reminds us that animals play just as big a role in designing our world. From small insects to massive mammals, nature’s architects prove that Earth’s landscapes are living, evolving creations—shaped not just by geology, but by the creatures that call it home.

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