Global+Warming+&+Animals

** Global Warming's affect on Animals CF **

 Global Warming is having a devastating effect on animals and their environment. The earth is losing an unprecedented amount of animal habitat to the effects of global warming. This is because the effects of carbon are causing the earth’s temperature to rise. Consequently, polar ice caps are melting and the sea is rising. Sara Sherwin, a science teacher at HVCHS who specialized in environmental issues is concerned about global warming’s affect on animals. “Global warming is shifting animal’s habits latitude northwards, some animals can live further north but southern boundaries could change,” Sherwin said.

Some animals are changing rapidly but others are finding the change in their environment harder to cope with. For example, some fish are starting to go northward in search of cooler waters, birds are migrating further and hibernating animals are waking up a few weeks earlier. “Some animals can adapt and some cannot. Many animals are dying off because their habitat is changing too quickly for them to adapt,” Sherwin said.

The animals experiencing the most difficulty are in the extreme north. For example, the Pika is a rodent that inhabits mountainous areas such as Nevada, southern Utah, northern New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado. According to recent research done by USGS ecologist Dr. Erik Beever, global warming appears to have contributed to local extinctions of Pika populations in the Great Basin area. The Pika is just one animal that has been affected by global warming. The Golden Toad and the Harlequin Frog of Costa Rica have already disappeared as a direct result of global warming. In addition, global warming is causing irreversible changes to the environment and could cause entire eco systems to disappear.

In the Arctic, ice is rapidly melting causing a dramatic decline in the number of polar bears. Ice platforms are moving farther apart and swimming conditions are more dangerous for polar bears. “Polar Bears have to swim larger distances between ice sheets and many are drowning from exhaustion,” Sherwin said. The U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050. Due to the decline of the polar bear’s primary habitat (sea ice) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. They could easily change from being threatened to endangered, and ultimately face extinction.

Polar Bears rely on the arctic weather for their survival. They have two layers of fur and can easily overheat from warmer climates. The polar bear simply cannot survive if Arctic temperatures continue to rise. Currently, there are many accounts of polar bears drowning as a direct result of global warming. The polar bear is definitely doomed if something is not done to reverse the damage caused by global warming.

Global Warming is increasing species extinction throughout the world. Dr. Camille Parmesan of the University of Texas conducted a study that showed that species are not involving fast enough to prevent extinction. Parmesan reviewed more than 800 scientific studies on the effects of human-induced climate change on thousands of species. The study revealed that species restricted to cold climate habitats (Earth’s poles, mountain tops etc) were the most affected by global warming. The most sensitive species are going extinct or shifting their ranges geographically because their original habitats have changed drastically due to global warming.

“Some populations are adapting, but species are not evolving anything that's really new, something we haven't been able to say before because we didn't have enough studies," Parmesan said. "To really come up with something new that's going to allow a species to live in a completely new environment takes a million years. It's not going to happen in a hundred years or even a few hundred years. By then, we might not even think of it as the same species.” The study also revealed that currently scientist cannot predict which species will respond to climate change based on what organism it is. Within groups of animals and plants some species respond to climate change and others do not.

The affects of global-warming are extensive and it is impossible to accurately predict what will become of species that are currently threatened by the global warming. However, everyone can do their part in order to help save our world’s interesting and beautiful species like the polar bear. The best way to prevent the affects of global warming is to find ways to cut back on Carbon dioxide emissions. Global warming can only be stopped if everyone does his or her part. ​ **Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming by Anthony D. Barnosky**

In, “Heatstroke: Nature in An Age of Global Warming” Anthony Barnosky discusses the importance of biodiversity and focuses on how global warming will affect the biodiversity of our planet. Barnosky also provides insightful information about global warming, habitat loss, introduced species and population growth. In the book, Barnosky writes about how many species will face extinction even if their land is protected from developers. Interestingly, Barnosky suggests wildlife preserves where ecological interactions rather than stable communities would be protected. However, Barnosky honestly admits that “our children will not see the same species we see” and “many of the species that humans tend to like will be wiped out by global warming" []

Global Warming has serious effects on all animals but it is especially a concern for the polar bear (see video below). It is on the Arctic ice that the polar bear makes its living, which is why global warming is such a serious threat to its well-being. 25,000 polar bears live in the arctic and climate change is their greatest threat. WWF funded by the Norwegian polar bear institute uses satellite collars in order to track the polar bears (as seen in the video below). This allows scientists to study how the bears are coping with the changes in their environment. media type="youtube" key="ZkNBfoKQIF4" height="333" width="485" align="center"