Can the animal kingdom cope with drastic climate change?

The impact of global warming on glacial ice, water bodies, forests and human population has become palpable to even the common man; but what we may have missed are the effects climate change has had or will have on wildlife. The kind of stress climate change is putting on wildlife is immense, having pushed almost 80% of 1500 wildlife species near extinction.

Some of the already vulnerable species have come under graver danger of going extinct due to increasing global temperatures.

With changing climatic conditions comes the effort of coping with it. For the animal kingdom this could mean going to dramatic lengths to adapt and survive. A planet that is heating up would automatically lead to animals moving northwards or to higher ranges in search of cooler climates.

This pattern of change has been highlighted by Dr Camille Parmesan, Associate Professor in the Section of Integrated Biology at the University of Texas, who researched on butterfly range shifts caused by climate change.

With habitat displacement, animal kind that has survived in the same ecosystem for millions of years needs to shift or adapt quicker. However, the presence of the human population is making it increasingly difficult to migrate to higher elevations from south. Besides, studies have revealed that global warming can diminish genetic diversity by disturbing the connections between species populations.

When interconnected populations, which are genetically diverse, are prevented from interbreeding, they become susceptible to diseases as well as external threats. Such a condition is hard, especially on isolated species that are unable to move northwards as south becomes hotter and hotter.

On another note, the quicker summer sets in the more shifts are expected in the timing of natural events. Events like migration, flowering, hibernation and reproduction would witness significant time modification. Additionally, global warming is also believed to set off dwarfing and other genetic changes, noticed previously in the red squirrel and the fruitfly Drosophila.

The impacts of rapidly altering climatic conditions on wildlife are already being observed worldwide. Polar bears are gradually losing out on their natural habitat in addition to their staple diet of ringed seal, which are themselves in danger due to the thinning ice. The diminishing sea ice is also spelling trouble for Adelie Penguins as a result of falling number of algae- eating fish to feed on.

Heightened pest infestation in summertime takes a serious toll on Caribou, which end up losing stored up energy for use in winter, only to shoo these pests away! Global warming is bringing about a fungal epidemic that is wiping out the frog population, which is finding it more and more difficult to cope with the pathogenic fungus.

Of course there are a whole lot of other species such as Arctic Foxes, Monarch Butterflies and trout that are in grave danger, particularly because of their attempt to search for colder temperatures, whether on land or under water.

Loss of stable habitation, extermination of ecological communities, dramatic changes in natural events and shortage of food—global warming has lined up a disconcerting list of happenings for the unsuspecting animal kingdom. Whether human-induced or otherwise, climate change is on the cards, and a gradual adaptation to changing global temperatures is not just the immediate need for wildlife; it should also become a priority for mankind.

More information: www.esi.uteas.edu