India, Feb. 11 -- A new study, led by Oxford University, has revealed a dramatic loss of 'wildlife power' across Africa - the ecological energy that drives essential ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling and seed dispersal.

The loss is placing increasing pressure on biodiversity and the human livelihoods that depend on healthy ecosystems.

According to the paper, Africa's ecosystems are operating on less than two-thirds of the natural energy they once had.

Published in Nature and led by researcher Ty Loft, the study shows that the loss of large animals such as elephants, rhinos, and lions has dramatically reduced the ecological power that once sustained ecosystem function.

The most alarming finding is the collapse of ecosystem f...