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Frequently cast as invasive pests, the equids may actually be of importance in some ecosystems. Water keeps the rhythms of desert life going, but animals aren't often powerless against the whims of weather. Wild donkeys and horses in the American southwest, usually dig into the dusty sediment to get to cool, clear groundwater to satisfy their thirst. (Photo : Helena Lopes) Major Source of Water   A new study reveals this equid innovation has far-reaching importance for the ecosystem. Wells of equid can act as desert oases, making a major source of water available during dry times that  can...

A kulan digging a well. (Credit: ©Petra Kaczensky) WASHINGTON (AFP) — For thousands of years, horses and donkeys have been some of our species’ most important partners.  A new study published Thursday shows they’re also friends to desert animals and plants, by digging deep wells that provide a vital source of water, especially at the height of summer. Biologist Erick Lundgren, lead author of the paper in Science, told AFP he first began noticing the phenomenon while working in western Arizona as a field technician studying river systems. “People just didn’t think it was worthy of ...

Tracy Hall/Flickr Contributing Correspondent Cathleen O’Grady joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a company that stores renewable energy by hoisting large objects in massive “gravity batteries.” Also on this week’s show, Erick Lundgren, a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University, talks about how water from wells dug by wild horses and feral donkeys provides a buffer to all different kinds of animals and plants during the driest times in the Sonora and Mojave deserts. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

Wild horses and donkeys dig wells in the desert, providing water for wildlife Douglas Main © Photograph by Justin Sullivan LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NV - MAY 12: Wild horses walk through dry brush on May 12, 2015 in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. As severe drought grips parts of the Western United States, Lake Mead, which was once the largest reservoir in the nation, has seen its surface elevation drop below 1,080 feet above sea level, its lowest level since the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Human...

Horses and donkeys engineer water for desert ecosystems Surprise discovery suggests feral animals aren’t all bad. Well-digging donkey. Credit: Erick Lundgren. Well-digging horses and donkeys could provide a valuable service for plants and animals in arid ecosystems, according to a study published in the journal Science. The wells, dug to two metres or more to access the water table, substantially increased water availability in US deserts of Arizona and helped to facilitate diversity of several native species. This surprise discovery sheds new light on invasive species, according to lead a...