The rapid loss of foraging animals such as bilbies, bandicoots and potoroos since the European colonisation of Australia has been linked to ecosystem decline, owing to the role they play in keeping land healthy.
A new study led by Murdoch University has found that digging mammals play a key role in increasing nutrient turnover and water infiltration in soil, as well as dispersing seeds.
Animals such as wombats, which dig holes to live in, are credited with breaking up hard soil and recycling organic material, such as fallen leaves, through the earth.
These mammals effectively plough furrows in the ground for seeds to fall into, increasing the chance that the seeds will become healthy plants. They are also credited with reducing fire risks by taking litter and debris underground with them.
Several native mammal species have suffered sharp declines since the European arrival, with Australia holding the unenviable status of being one of the world's worst countries for mammal extinctions.
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