Tanya
Farber | 16 November, 2015 12:35
A
new study at the University of Cape Town shows that birds are feeling the heat
– and a lot more – from changes in climate.
A
dozen species in the Western Cape are declining because of changing conditions,
according to the study by scientists from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute at
UCT in collaboration with the Centre for African Conservation Ecology at the
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
The
study looked at 12 fynbos bird species and compared the information with data
captured 15 years prior.
Changes
in climate were assessed for the same period and a decline was noted across all
species.
Several
factors resulting from man-made conditions are pushing them out of their
habitats. Heat is one of them, but shifting patterns in fire and rainfall are
also proving detrimental.
The
study, which will be published in the Oxford University Press journal Conservation
Physiology next month, includes some well-known species such as the
malachite sunbird and the familiar chat.
Lead
researcher Susie Cunningham said the findings could inform plans for better
conservation strategies.
No comments:
Post a Comment