A new study led by the University of East Anglia suggests a new metric for understanding a species' vulnerability to our changing environment, as relayed by Phys.org. Using this metric, researchers have determined that some beloved bird species are at greater risk than others.
What's happening?
The study, which was published in the Journal of Biogeography, sought to better understand bird species' tolerance to climate conditions, or their climatic niche breadth. To do this, researchers looked at population trends of 159 bird species across 29 European countries paired with 30 years of climate data. They then considered factors such as the species' migratory status, average body mass, and diet.
The results found a decreasing population in 58 of the observed species, stable populations in 68 species, and an increasing population in 33 species. The declining species tend to live within smaller ranges and are less resilient to various climate conditions.
"These findings can help us understand the threats associated with climate change and allow for rapid assessment of the importance of climatic factors on population trends, providing an invaluable tool for targeting species conservation," UEA researcher Karolina Zalewska said.
Why is indexing climatic niche breadth important?
Researchers believe that indexing the climatic niche breadth of these bird species is crucial for the conservation of all species. By incorporating this additional metric into climate risk assessments, conservationists can better understand exactly how climate conditions impact these species. In turn, this should help to better protect them.
"Our results emphasize the importance of understanding and incorporating the level of exposure to climatic variability when assessing vulnerability to climate change and long-term population declines," Zalewska said, according to the findings.
What's being done about declining animal populations?
The UEA study offers another step in the path toward protecting animal species from shifting climate patterns. While stopping these shifts in their tracks won't happen tomorrow, other conservation efforts are proving effective.
Ecological restoration efforts on the Yangtze River have helped the near-extinct Yangtze finless porpoise population increase. On a larger scale, a recent review of 186 studies on conservation strategies found that global conservation efforts are making a measurable difference.
According to the Endangered Species Coalition, there are many ways you can help protect endangered species. Some of the most accessible options include upgrading to a natural lawn, reducing your use of herbicides and pesticides, and buying more sustainable products.
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