Global bird sightings from citizen scientists and a view into “climate niches” reveal unexpected risks for some birds.
Global bird sightings from citizen scientists and a view into “climate niches” reveal unexpected risks for some birds.
Biologists have long debated why some plants and animals can adjust to a wide range of climates, while others can’t. Understanding why could help conservation managers and decision makers identify which species are most vulnerable to climate change.
A new study in Nature Communications by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin evaluated global distribution maps and other data for about 1,500 bird species and found some surprising patterns. For example, the researchers found that some species that breed over large geographic areas can still be adapted to a fairly narrow range of climates, making them more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought. Take for example the Arctic, which occupies a considerable portion of Earth’s landmass but exhibits very similar climate patterns all over.
“Because that region is so big, species that occupy it tend to have large populations and large geographic range sizes—two characteristics that are often associated with lower extinction risks,” said Carlos Botero, an associate professor of integrative biology and senior author of the new study. “The problem here is that because many of those species are adapted to a very narrow range of climates, those seemingly large populations can be quite susceptible to collapse when climate patterns begin to change.”
Read more at University of Texas at Austin
Photo Credit: Pixabay
