Being a Bird Was Once a Simple Affair. Flying. Eating. Mating. But Now Their Habitats Are Under Sieg

[douglas9]

Study finds that national parks will be important refuges as the climate changes.

Every year, millions of bird watchers flock to national parks searching for numerous avian species. But in the coming decades, some of the birds they identify may be newcomers. The effects of climate change have already shifted habitats for many birds, and new research reveals how national parks will increasingly serve as crucial refuges.

The new study, published Wednesday in the Public Library of Science’s peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, finds under both optimistic and more dire climate change scenarios, over 60 percent of national parks may provide homes for a greater number of bird species than they ever have. In summer, the climate is projected to become suitable for an average of 23 species not currently seen in each park, and in the winter, an average of 42 species. Conversely, climate changes will also make each park potentially unsuitable for 17 species on average in summer, and 10 species in the winter.

“The national parks are as protected as can be, but they are still prone to the effects of climate change,” Joanna Wu, the first author of the study and a biologist at the National Audubon Society said. But she noted that these findings could be seen as a positive counterpoint to the “doom and gloom” trajectory that usually accompanies climate change discussions: “We find that national parks have the potential to see more species colonization, and I thought that was encouraging.”


https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/03/being-a-bird-was-once-a-simple-affair-flying-eating-mating-but-now-their-habitats-are-under-siege/