Thursday, February 20, 2014

Habitat shift: Watching the birds change where they live

New Maps Show How Habitats May Shift with Climate ...

In the above word button it talks about species changing their ranges, especially in species that migrate.

For example, starting in the 1980s and 1990s it was pointed out to me by my step son who is an Audabon Society member since his childhood through his grandmother, that south american species of birds were migrating, especially on the oceans more through this area of Northern California where I live.

But now, often those species stay in this region for longer and longer times because in the end they are looking for compatible temperature ranges more than anything else. When it gets too hot where they are they move North or South to where it is cooler. If it is too cold for them they also move south or north where the temperatures are better for them and where there is food and also water to drink.

However, plants cannot do that so many species of plants especially in the Amazon and other regions near the equator are going to go extinct. Often birds, animals and even insects can migrate. But, if those species need a particular group of plants that go extinct to feed upon then those birds, animals or insects are going to go extinct right along with those plants who cannot migrate fast enough not to go extinct.

So, we are seeing and will see mass extinctions of species interdependent upon plants that cannot migrate. I suppose people could keep some of those plants alive on their own but this won't do the birds, animals and insects any good because they still will be extinct and all dead generally speaking.

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