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Climate Brief: Global Warming
Our Paris Bureau
31 DEC
Higher CO2 levels & slightly warmer global temperatures are increasing affecting the biosphere in this region.Similar effects have been noticed in some parts of Alaska, Scandinavia, Northen Europe, & northen sections of Russia & china.This phenomena has led to quick warming of the soil & a faster start to spring growth. Higher temperatures & less rainfall which have led to suppression of agricultural yields are proving to be the cause of concern in these areas. The effects of gllobal warming are not merely confined to plants. There are increasing evidences of the fact that geographic range of plant & animal species are shifting towards the poles or to higher elevations to maintain their preferred temperature conditions.
Field studies of a small North American butterfly, known as Edith's checkerspot butterfly, have shown the first convincing evidence that the geographic range of an animal species has shifted in response to climate change. Over a number of decades, as global temperature was rising slowly, butterfly colonies on the southern limit of the range failed to survive, while new colonies formed on the northern limit of the range and also at higher elevations. This shift worked out well enough for the checkerspot, but such range migration may not always be possible in the future.
Global development & habitat loss is standing in the way of some species, leaving a shrinking range of habitats &increasing the extinction of many species as the temperature rises.
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