Monday, January 14, 2013

Will changes in climate wipe out mammals in Arctic and sub-Arctic areas?

Will changes in climate wipe out mammals in Arctic and sub-Arctic areas? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 14-Jan-2013
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Contact: Anouschka Hof
anouschka.hof@emg.umu.se
46-907-866-377
Umea University

The climate changes depicted by climatologists up to the year 2080 will benefit most mammals that live in northern Europe's Arctic and sub-Arctic land areas today if they are able to reach their new climatic ranges. This is the conclusion drawn by ecologists at Ume University in a recently published article in the journal Plos ONE.

The scientists Anouschka Hof, Roland Jansson, and Christer Nilsson of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Ume University investigated how future climate changes may come to impact mammals in northern Europe's Arctic and sub-Arctic land areas, excluding the Arctic seas and islands. These land masses are assumed to undergo major changes in climate, and their natural ecology is also regarded as especially susceptible to changes.

By modeling the distribution of species, the researchers have determined that the predicted climate changes up to the year 2080 will benefit most mammals that live in these areas today, with the exception of some specialists in cold climate, such as the Arctic fox and the lemming.

"This will be the case only on the condition that the species can reach the areas that take on the climate these animals are adapted to. We maintain that it is highly improbable that all mammals will be able to do so, owing partly to the increased fragmentation of their living environments caused by human beings. Such species will reduce the extent of their distribution instead," says Christer Nilsson, professor of landscape ecology.

The researchers also show that even if climate changes as such do not threaten the majority of Arctic and sub-Arctic mammals, changes in the species mix may do so, for instance because predators and their potential prey that previously did not live together may wind up in the same areas.

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The study was carried out with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The work was recently published in the journal Plos ONE.

Original publication:

Title: Future Climate Change Will Favour Non-Specialist Mammals in the (Sub)Arctics

Journal: Plos ONE

Authors: Anouschka R. Hof, Roland Jansson, and Christer Nilsson, Regional Ecology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Ume University

The full article: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0052574


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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Will changes in climate wipe out mammals in Arctic and sub-Arctic areas? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 14-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Anouschka Hof
anouschka.hof@emg.umu.se
46-907-866-377
Umea University

The climate changes depicted by climatologists up to the year 2080 will benefit most mammals that live in northern Europe's Arctic and sub-Arctic land areas today if they are able to reach their new climatic ranges. This is the conclusion drawn by ecologists at Ume University in a recently published article in the journal Plos ONE.

The scientists Anouschka Hof, Roland Jansson, and Christer Nilsson of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Ume University investigated how future climate changes may come to impact mammals in northern Europe's Arctic and sub-Arctic land areas, excluding the Arctic seas and islands. These land masses are assumed to undergo major changes in climate, and their natural ecology is also regarded as especially susceptible to changes.

By modeling the distribution of species, the researchers have determined that the predicted climate changes up to the year 2080 will benefit most mammals that live in these areas today, with the exception of some specialists in cold climate, such as the Arctic fox and the lemming.

"This will be the case only on the condition that the species can reach the areas that take on the climate these animals are adapted to. We maintain that it is highly improbable that all mammals will be able to do so, owing partly to the increased fragmentation of their living environments caused by human beings. Such species will reduce the extent of their distribution instead," says Christer Nilsson, professor of landscape ecology.

The researchers also show that even if climate changes as such do not threaten the majority of Arctic and sub-Arctic mammals, changes in the species mix may do so, for instance because predators and their potential prey that previously did not live together may wind up in the same areas.

###

The study was carried out with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The work was recently published in the journal Plos ONE.

Original publication:

Title: Future Climate Change Will Favour Non-Specialist Mammals in the (Sub)Arctics

Journal: Plos ONE

Authors: Anouschka R. Hof, Roland Jansson, and Christer Nilsson, Regional Ecology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Ume University

The full article: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0052574


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/uu-wci011413.php

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