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Global Warming Threat to Mobile Species

Global warming is really putting Darwin’s theories to the test.

Animals that migrate, and therefore depend upon several different ecosystems for survival, are being pushed to quickly adapt to changes brought on by global warming. If they fail to adapt, researchers say, some species may not survive.

For example, warming temperatures threaten the survival of some turtle species, which produce more females than males in warmer climes. Already, some turtle nesting sites in the Malaysian peninsula where temperatures have risen now produce only female eggs.

Other species facing climate-related problems include migratory birds, whales and dolphins. A report by the United Nation’s Environment Programme found some species, such as fin and bowhead whales, are able to change their feeding behavior as previously reliable food sources disappear. But in some cases, climate change is occurring faster than species can adapt.

As many as one-fifth of migratory bird species are threatened by the consequences of climate change, such as rising sea levels, coastal erosion and storms that can blow them off course. Changes in just one ecosystem that birds rely upon during their travels from one continent to another could threaten their ability to survive, the report warns.

The report calls upon humans to find ways to mitigate the consequences of climate change to help the natural world to better adapt. That only seems fair. After all, people are the ones who caused the problem to begin with.

For more information on this story, click here.

For more information on what you can do to help slow climate change, go to www.fightglobalwarming.com.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org