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Email Story to a Friend June 16, 2006 Large animals, like this deer with a fawn, often draw human empathy, although in terms of environmental impact they may be far behind small organisms such as insects. Big animals draw empathy, but smaller ones rule Insects and microbes may seem tiny, but they can wreak havoc when they become destructive "Charismatic mega fauna" is a well-know phrase used by biologists. It refers to large endearing animals used to elicit empathy for a cause or agenda. Pandas, bears, lions, penguins, elephants, cheetahs and purple dinosaurs named Barney typify this group. They are used as subjects of inspiring movies and most often portray the heroes Elsa in "Born Free," Keiko in "Free Willie," Chilly Willy in "The March of the Penguins". And they are often billed as the "top" of the food chain. Microbes, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses on the other hand, seldom star in movies. When they do, they play unnamed villains remember "The Andromeda Strain," a film about deadly microbes from space?. Do you find them at pet stores? I think not. Some of us keep a few caged in our fridge, but usually not by design. Where do they fit in the food chain, which is not really a chain, but a dynamic chaotic web? Well, they seem to consume everybody in the end. Maybe that makes them the top of the food web? But, like Rodney Dangerfield, they "get no respect." A campaign to raise money to save Minnie the Microbe is not likely to raise much but scorn. Yet they are everywhere, the biomass of bacteria exceeds the mass of all other animals and plants on earth combined even our bodies could not function without them. Advertisement Approximately 10 percent of our body weight, they are an essential part of our digestive tract, including our mouth not usually a cause for celebration, living proof that "small" runs the world. Moreover, insects that usually make up about 80 percent of the biodiversity in any ecosystem are seldom acknowledged. The "mega fauna" and vascular plants get the credit. Bees, ants and termites, the social insects, pollinate, decompose and recycle these functions are essential for all life, including humans. Yet we label them pests and attempt to eradicate them. Teenagers can be pests too, but we don't often spray them. Our hope is that one day they'll provide some positive benefit, like other social insects. Microbes passively stalk, but efficiently kill their prey. Doctors have estimated that bird flu has the potential of killing more than 52 million people a higher number of birds and may be successful in about 80 percent of their encounters with humans. No other mega predator is so capable. It is no wonder that bioterrorists consider releasing anthrax, ebola or plague rather than a pride of lions. One of the more important concepts of "small" is the ratio of surface area to mass weight. I learned in high school chemistry that you could not ignite a chunk of magnesium. But, if you atomized it increase the surface area by 1000 times or more before applying the match, the same mass would literally explode. Similarly, a 1-ton deer in your garden eats less than a ton of insects can hundreds of thousands of hungry little mouths chewing away. Like Ellen Goheen, a local plant pathologist, is fond of reminding me, "each insect, a little bit each day." It may be difficult to see the daily effects, but over time, they are profound. For example, take drought-stressed trees in the mountains along I-5 between Medford and Grants Pass some time ago. In their weakened condition, they became increasingly susceptible to beetles and pathogens. It was difficult to see at first; just a few trees in the stand were killed. But now many of the large dominant trees have obviously succumbed. So, has the popular glorification of the big and beautiful turned our understanding of ecosystem function on its head? It is easy to love the babies of the mega fauna — they are so cute and cuddly and their eyes are irresistible. On the other hand, baby bacteria look pretty much the same as adults. Most don't have eyes; we hear most about those that are harmful to humans; and cuddling is difficult at best. But consider taking a minute to thank those 50 species of bacteria that inhabit your mouth and help you digest those scrumptious chocolate donuts with the nut sprinkles. Tom Atzet is a retired Forest Service ecologist living in Merlin Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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