Tag Archive for "climate change"
On a remote Scottish island scientists have discovered that the local sheep is actually getting smaller. The ecosystem on this island has been under surveillance since 1985 because of its uniqueness. It is very simple, mainly consisting of sheep and the vegetation they eat.
Now scientists have discovered that the weight of the sheep has decreased 5% over the last 25 years. The scientists claim that warmer climate has made it easier for the sheep thus helping the smaller sheep surviving. Earlier only the larger sheep were able to handle the harsh climate at the island. The reason for this development is earlier springs and longer falls which make the winters shorter.
Source: Various news sites.
A new study done with data from the last 25 years in England show that migrating birds seem to move further north in Europe. The researchers looked at 42 rare bird species in Britain and some of the birds that was rarely seen in the south of Britain has been spotted more often. These birds include the Dartford warbler, Cirl bunting, little egret and Cetti’s warbler. Other species, like the fieldfare, redwing or Slavonian grebe, that are more common in Britain saw a decrease in their numbers. The researchers filtered out other factors that could mess up with the observations.
The study done by Durham University, Cambridge University and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds clearly show that there is clear relation with higher temperatures and the migration of birds. Butterflies and birds are species that early adopt to climate changes so this study show that there really is global warming.
This means that I might see new bird species here in Northern Norway in the future. I’m a bit of birdwatcher so it will be cool to see new species, but I don’t want human made global warming to destroy the arctic ecosystem.
