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First Mammal Species Goes Extinct Due to Climate Change |
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A small rodent that supposedly lived only on a single island near Australia is the world's first mammal to be a casualty of climate change.
The Bramble Cay melomys disappeared from its home in the eastern Torres Strait of the Great Barrier Reef. The animal was last seen by a fisherman in 2009, but due to no further sightings reported, scientists to say it is likely extinct. The rat is named after its home on Bramble Cay, a small island, that is just 3 meters above sea level. Since 1998, the part of the island that sits above high tide has shrunk from4 hectares to 2.5 hectares. The island's vegetation has been shrinking, and the rodents have lost about 97 percent of their habitat. The key factor responsible for its extinction was almost certainly ocean flooding, causing dramatic habitat loss. For low-lying islands like Bramble Cay, the destructive effects of extreme water levels are aggravated by anthropogenic (human) activities. Around the world, sea level has risen by almost 8 inches, a level unparalleled in the last 6000 years. This small mammal is therefore only the first of many species that face significant risk due to a warming climate, the authors warn. Scientists suggest that one in five species may be at risk from climate change. Those on small islands and mountains are most threatened, since they have few places to go when the situations change. There's still time left. We can work to mitigate the worst impacts, by relocating wildlife as needed, and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE References: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/first-mammal-extinct-climate-change-bramble-cay-melomys/ PHOTOGRAPH BY AUSCAPE, UIG VIA GETTY IMAGES |
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6 Comments
Poor species.. There are so many other species that went extinct unnoticed! A crack in the ecosystem can bring an unexpected damage and we should all be concerned. Thanks for writing!
Posted 12-08-2016 09:40
A very sad news indeed. :'( We need to address climate change already, it must be a priority.
Posted 11-08-2016 20:21
Humaid, it is sad to hear that animals and plant species are becoming extinct every moment. We need to realize how diversity is important to our life as well, and put effort to conserve them. Thanks for sharing and have a great day.
Posted 11-08-2016 14:15
I read the news somewhere and I'm happy you've shared it here. Lets preach conservation now
Posted 11-08-2016 05:38
that's true.most of our game parks and reserves will soon be missing some species due to climate change.water rising levels on this 20th century has been a threat to the world for example about one-third of the marsh
at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
in the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern
U.S. has become submerged since 1938.
Half of the marsh loss is attributed to
the sinking of land due to groundwater
extraction, and the rest is attributed
to global warming. Elsewhere in the
Chesapeake Bay, Bloodsworth Island is
590 acres (235 hectares) smaller than it
was in 1942, a loss of more than 10% of
its original land area.57
In Louisiana.water rising has been so rapid in the 20th century where it has been recorded a rise of 8 to 10 inches which is 10times more higher than 3000years ago.
Posted 11-08-2016 04:14
There are many such species which are at the verge of extinction as aftermath of climate change. We need to act mindfully to mitigate climate change. Thanks for the report.
Posted 11-08-2016 03:51