Core Idea
Conservation messages are all about pandas, elephants, whales and any species with soft eyes and distinctive markings that are charismatic, photogenic, and infinitely marketable.
Yet ecosystems do not run on charisma. They run on networks of energy and matter cycling through countless invisible organisms.
In each square metre of soil, tens of thousands of species conduct the invisible work that sustains terrestrial life. Bacteria decompose organic matter. Fungi form vast hyphal networks that transport nutrients between plants. Nematodes regulate bacterial populations. Collembola and earthworms fragment organic matter and mix soil layers. Protozoa release nutrients from bacterial prey.
These soil organisms, which for the most part are unknown to science, unnamed, and unseen by human eyes, form the biological infrastructure that makes terrestrial ecosystems possible.
Remove soil microbes, and decomposition stops.
If mycorrhizal fungi are removed, most plants lose their primary nutrient acquisition system.
Remove the soil fauna, and nutrient cycling collapses.
Without this invisible biodiversity, terrestrial ecosystems would cease to function… almost instantly.
Counterpoint
Protect the tiger and you save the jungle.
Preserve the panda reserve and you safeguard whole forests.
Fundraise for whales and you protect marine ecosystems.
The logic is seductive. If the effort focuses on flagship species, then ecosystem protection follows as a collateral benefit. A trickle-down that neoliberal economists find so convincing.
But ecosystems are not pyramids balanced on apex species. They are webs held together by redundancy and flow.
What maintains forest resilience is not whether a tiger prowls at its edge, but whether soils cycle nutrients efficiently, whether mycorrhizal networks support plant communities, and whether decomposer organisms process dead organic matter into available nutrients.
The harsh ecological reality is that rare species, by definition of their rarity, cannot significantly influence ecosystem services. Low numbers mean minimal biomass, limited distribution, and negligible functional impact.
Common species, including abundant bacteria, fungi, arthropods, and other soil organisms, play a crucial role in providing essential ecosystem services that human civilisation depends upon.
Most conservation narratives avoid this uncomfortable truth because it undermines the emotional appeal that drives donations. A microscopic bacterium cycling nitrogen does not evoke the same donor response as a photogenic koala. Yet humanity could survive the extinction of every charismatic megafauna species while continuing to farm, eat, and persist.
Lose the soil organisms, and human civilisation would collapse within years as agricultural systems fail and nutrient cycling breaks down.
Thought Challenge
Do the subtraction test… Imagine if every iconic conservation species, all the pandas, tigers, polar bears, elephants, vanished overnight. No, what core ecosystem functions would actually fail? Contrast this with the disappearance of soil bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, or decomposer invertebrates. Which scenario threatens human survival?
Examine a conservation campaign... Choose a recent environmental advert, social media post, or NGO appeal. Document what species are featured (usually charismatic megafauna) and what ecosystem functions are ignored (usually soil processes, nutrient cycling, decomposition). Ask yourself what story is being sold here, and what crucial systems are being rendered invisible?
Map your local underground economy... For one week, notice the soil life around you. Observe earthworms after rain, fungal networks on dead logs, and the dark soil beneath leaf litter. Research the ecological roles of three “boring” species in your area. Notice how your perception shifts when you see these organisms as foundational infrastructure rather than background noise.
These exercises sharpen the sceptical instinct to look beneath surface drama for the flows and functions that actually matter. Instead of being captured by conservation theatre, you learn to direct attention toward the ordinary, overlooked, and indispensable systems that maintain habitability.
A Reflection
Being a mindful sceptic about conservation priorities is not about dismissing the intrinsic value of charismatic species or mocking those who love elephants. It is about the necessary intellectual discipline of resisting the easy lure of emotional symbolism and redirecting attention where ecological reality demands.
The most critical biodiversity on Earth lives beneath our feet in vast numbers, conducting the biochemical processes that make terrestrial life possible. These organisms deserve our attention not because they are rare or beautiful, but because they are abundant and essential.
Icons are symbols, not systems. If we remember nothing else about conservation biology, we should remember that.
Our survival depends far more on the invisible life support system operating in every square metre of soil than on any flagship species featured in conservation campaigns. This biological realism could redirect conservation efforts toward protecting the functional biodiversity that actually sustains human civilisation.
Evidence Support
Wagg, C., Bender, S. F., Widmer, F., & van der Heijden, M. G. (2014). Soil biodiversity and soil community composition determine ecosystem multifunctionality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(14), 5266-5270
TL;DR… direct experimental evidence that the loss and simplification of soil biodiversity negatively affects multiple ecosystem functions at once. The researchers found that greater soil biodiversity led to higher performance across eight key functions, including plant diversity, decomposition, and nutrient cycling.
Relevance to the Insight… robust scientific validation for the central claim that “ecosystems do not run on charisma.” It demonstrates that the loss of the “invisible” soil community directly impairs essential functions, such as decomposition and nutrient cycling, which the insight argues are the true foundation of terrestrial life.
Feng, J., Wang, J., Delgado-Baquerizo, M., et al. (2024). Geologically younger ecosystems are more dependent on soil biodiversity. Nature Communications, 15(1), 4208.
TL;DR… global study of 87 ecosystems reveals that the functions in geologically younger and drier ecosystems are more heavily dependent on soil biodiversity. As ecosystems mature and accumulate more biomass and nutrients, this dependency may lessen, but biodiversity remains critical for sustaining functions in less developed environments.
Relevance to the Insight… supports the “subtraction test” thought exercise. It highlights that in many of the world’s environments, especially those that are arid or still developing, the “invisible biodiversity” is not just helpful but absolutely essential for basic functions like nutrient cycling to occur, making it a cornerstone of ecosystem resilience.
Zan, P., Wang, J., Wang, Q., et al. (2022). Effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition in Chinese forests. PeerJ, 10, e12747.
TL;DR… quantifies the significant role of soil fauna such as mites, earthworms, and other invertebrates in breaking down plant litter. The study explains that fauna accelerate decomposition not only by physically fragmenting organic matter but also by altering the soil structure and stimulating the activity of microbial communities.
Relevance to the Insight… explains how organisms like earthworms and arthropods are not passive inhabitants but active engineers whose work is essential for processing dead organic matter and making nutrients available to the ecosystem.
Mahmood, S., & Mahmood, A. (2024). Editorial: Applicative and ecological aspects of mycorrhizal symbiosis. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, 1510941.
TL;DR… summarises research on mycorrhizal fungi, highlighting their vital role in enhancing plant nutrient uptake (especially phosphorus), improving soil structure, and storing carbon. These symbiotic relationships are crucial for making ecosystems more resilient to stresses like drought and pollution.
Relevance to the Insight… directly supports the insight’s statement that if you “remove mycorrhizal fungi... most plants lose their primary nutrient acquisition system.” It confirms that these fungal networks are a key part of the “biological infrastructure” that sustains plant life and overall ecosystem stability, reinforcing their status as an essential, if unseen, life support system.
Bayu, T. (2024). Systematic review on the role of microbial activities on nutrient cycling and transformation implication for soil fertility and crop productivity. bioRxiv, 2024-09.
TL;DR… systematic review analyses 120 separate studies and concludes that microbial activity is a primary driver of nutrient cycling and transformation in soil. These processes, carried out by bacteria and fungi, are directly linked to improved soil fertility and the productivity of agricultural crops.
Relevance to the Insight… provides overwhelming evidence for the insight’s claim that humanity’s ability to farm and eat depends on soil organisms. It confirms that the cycling of essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus is fundamentally a biological process driven by microbes, underpinning the argument that human civilisation would face collapse if these “invisible” workers were lost.