Global Warming Effects on Animal Habitats

In the past one hundred years the Earth has warmed by 1 degree Fahrenheit. Ecological changes have been observed over this time span, and scientists have speculated about what global warming will mean in the future for plants, animals and humans. Some signs that global warming is affecting animal habitats include mammals leaving hibernation earlier, birds laying eggs earlier, and some animals species changing their ranges and flight patterns.

Studies have shown that the effects of global warming just by one degree have already had a dramatic effect on animal habitats. Hibernation and egg laying, which are important aspects of animal habitats, are happening now an average of 5.1 days earlier per decade. Swallows that were studied by the Stanford Institute for International Studies for a Nature Study were noted to lay eggs nine days earlier than normal. Butterflies, birds and some marine invertebrate species have started migrating northward. The new migration patterns confirm earlier studies pointing out that higher temperatures mean earlier spring seasons in North America.

Animal species that hibernate throughout the winter seasons are breaking their hibernation patterns earlier. A Colorado study on marmots found that they are breaking hibernation three weeks earlier than they were in 1970. Brown bears and polar bears have also been affected. The disruption of a normal hibernation pattern for these animals could mean life or death, because of the environment in which they wake up. Research around the world has shown that dormice, hedgehogs and even ground squirrels have had a noted hibernation change.

The changes in animal habits, such as migrating and giving birth earlier, can be seen as evolutionary changes. It may keep the species alive longer, but the effects on their animal habitats can be devastating. One animal affects numerous other animals in its environment. If the warbler bird that eats a certain type of caterpillar starts changing its migration pattern, the caterpillar species may become overpopulated. It is also possible that the warbler moving toward warmer climates will not find the food and nutrition it needs that it once got from the caterpillars it ate. The new migrations of animals can lead to new predators and more competition for food supplies. Starvation is a possibility for animal species that break hibernation early.

According to the National Wildlife Foundation there are numerous wildlife animal habitats being impacted by global warming. Penguins are being affected because of melting sea ice. Caribou are wasting stored-up energy deflecting dangerously increased levels of insects such as mosquitoes, which means the caribou eat less and conserve less energy to get them through winter months. Polar bears and seals are being affected by global warming. Thinning ice means that polar bears cannot hunt the seals for food, and it also means the seals are losing places to raise their young. Other animals affected by global warming include the Arctic fox, song birds, trout, monarch butterflies and krill shrimp. Coral reefs are also being affected by the temperature changes.

Recycling, reducing energy waste and changing your settings on the thermostat are all things we can do to help reduce the effects of global warming. Reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere can help the world avoid the worst impacts of global warming, which means better health for animal habitats.