lindsayao
New member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2014
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
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- United States
[FONT="]Theories have been developed in order to account for why and how species populations are going extinct. These theories focus on extinction as a consequence of low numbers, and variation in weather or other environmental factors. Climate change has been theorized as causing high but predictable extinction risks and may be easier than previously thought. Originally climate change has never been a factor in the assessments of threatened species such as when the IUCN Red List was developed, however a study of 36 amphibians and reptile species endemic to the U.S. has determined that climate change may be a chalked up with all the other extinction risks (Pearson, 2014).[/FONT]
[FONT="]The new study identified factors that make species susceptible to high extinction risks due to climate change. The information gathered on species such as salamanders, turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards would hope to create a blueprint for deciding extinction risks for other species around the world. One species in general is the Ornate Box Turtle ([/FONT]Terrapene ornata ornata) that is being studied for predictability of species extinction risk from climate change (Pearson, 2014). The team found that among the reptiles and amphibians that were studies there was a 28% chance of extinction by 2100. Climate change is estimated to cause an extreme increase in extinction risk for these taxonomy groups over the next century considering the risk of extinction without climate change was estimated to be less than 1% (Pearson, 2014).
This will lead to much extinction due to climate change unless there is a more species specific conservation put into effect. Some factors in the study suggest that actions should be focusing on species that occupy small or declining areas that have small population size, or similar population fluctuations (Pearson, 2014). These methods should prove to be effective in conserving biodiversity for the estimated extinction risk.
This study also proved to be different and more effective since it estimated extinction risk as the probability of the population size falling to zero by the year 2100 instead of predicting future extinctions by replacing areas with suitable climate. The study was modeled by using population growth such as reproduction, survival and dispersal (Pearson, 2014). The overall study was to make predictions and conclude that due to the changing temperatures and rainfall patterns more species are at risk of extinction than expected. This will also help to create a better understanding and course of action for the effects of climate change when assessing extinction risk.
[FONT="]The new study identified factors that make species susceptible to high extinction risks due to climate change. The information gathered on species such as salamanders, turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards would hope to create a blueprint for deciding extinction risks for other species around the world. One species in general is the Ornate Box Turtle ([/FONT]Terrapene ornata ornata) that is being studied for predictability of species extinction risk from climate change (Pearson, 2014). The team found that among the reptiles and amphibians that were studies there was a 28% chance of extinction by 2100. Climate change is estimated to cause an extreme increase in extinction risk for these taxonomy groups over the next century considering the risk of extinction without climate change was estimated to be less than 1% (Pearson, 2014).
This will lead to much extinction due to climate change unless there is a more species specific conservation put into effect. Some factors in the study suggest that actions should be focusing on species that occupy small or declining areas that have small population size, or similar population fluctuations (Pearson, 2014). These methods should prove to be effective in conserving biodiversity for the estimated extinction risk.
This study also proved to be different and more effective since it estimated extinction risk as the probability of the population size falling to zero by the year 2100 instead of predicting future extinctions by replacing areas with suitable climate. The study was modeled by using population growth such as reproduction, survival and dispersal (Pearson, 2014). The overall study was to make predictions and conclude that due to the changing temperatures and rainfall patterns more species are at risk of extinction than expected. This will also help to create a better understanding and course of action for the effects of climate change when assessing extinction risk.
