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Digging into dirt: Rewilding with threatened mammals shapes soil-emerging insect assemblages
Lucy G Johanson1,2, Peter Contos2,3, Romina Rader1
1Department of Rural and Environmental Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|May 9, 2026
Summary
The reintroduction of digging mammals, or ecosystem engineers, significantly altered soil insect communities. Specifically, insect abundance decreased in areas with digging, impacting parasitoid wasps and predatory flies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Zoology
- Soil Science
Background:
- Digging mammals are ecosystem engineers that modify soil structure and influence nutrient cycling.
- The decline of digging mammals has cascading ecological effects, but impacts on soil insects are unclear.
- Soil insects perform vital ecosystem functions and can indicate ecological community changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how mammal reintroductions affect soil-emerging insect community structure and composition.
- To assess the impact of digging activity on insect abundance, richness, and biomass.
Main Methods:
- Long-term mammal exclusion experiment in a predator-free sanctuary.
- Insect sampling using emergence traps in reintroduction, exclusion, and control plots.
- Data collected in 2010 and 2018, 8 years post-fence installation.
Main Results:
- Digging activity did not significantly affect insect richness or biomass.
- Insect abundance was reduced in areas with digging.
- Parasitoid wasps and predatory flies were less abundant in plots with digging activity.
Conclusions:
- Reintroduction of ecosystem engineers alters insect assemblages, affecting multitrophic interactions.
- Widespread loss of digging mammals may have had profound ecosystem-wide effects in Australia.
- Long-term invertebrate monitoring is crucial for successful mammal reintroduction and restoration efforts.
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