Climate Change and Wildlife: An Analysis in special reference to Uttrakhandby Dharmendra Kapri | 02-01-2014 20:31 |
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Climate, a large and complex system, can be affected by change in composition of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to mixing from natural and anthropogenic emissions. This leads to affect the critical balance of human systems with the natural systems for smooth sustenance of community. The imbalance due to climate change is impacting the functioning of human, plants and wildlife. It is reported that wildlife population is under constant siege from the vagaries of nature. Erratic weather patterns have brought about a radical shift in the migration and breeding populations of birds and animals. Research clearly indicates that migration of wild animal coincides with drought and breeding of birds coincides with peak monsoon, often flooding and washing away nesting sites. Animal behavior is completely in tune with the seasonal availability of food and the resulting weather pattern such as birth time coincides with the time, when food in terms of biomass is available. This scenarios are being severely impacted due to change in climate such as prolonged drought in summer with increased temperatures favours the rapid multiplication of species like wild boar creating an imbalance in the ecological pyramid. Many varied forms of life have vanished and a few of the dominant species like elephants and gaur are migrating to agricultural land because of the scarcity of food and in turn leads to human wildlife conflict. Uttarakhand witnesses human wildlife conflict mainly from elephants, leopard, bear etc. mostly due to loss of their habitation and food unavailability. Wild boars become vilified animal and damaging agriculture crops. The man-leopard conflict appears to be raging owing to mounting attacks by the carnivores in various parts of the state and killing of man-eaters by locals. The reason lies in the changing of the unique floral and faunal diversity due to the vagaries of weather and climate change as per the study reports across the Uttrakhand. The increase in temperature may shift various species to higher elevations. The oak forest is being invaded by pine forests in Himalayas. There are reports of early flowering and fruiting, especially rhododendron, apple and Myrica esculenta. The migratory birds have also been impacted due to the change in food availability against the change of flowering and fruiting of some wild plants. Some of results related to climate change which directly or indirectly influence the wildlife are as follows: Melting ice leads to reduce the hunting ground for polar bears The change in temperature impacts the water population such as trout, salmon etc. Drought affects some plants to grow in full bloom resulting into low availability of food to insects and pests, thus imbalances the food chain. This issue has to be addressed in such a way so that the critical balance of survival of plant, wildlife and humanity should be retained and strengthened. One of the solution may be increasing earth?s capacity to absorb and store more carbon either through vegetation by forest protection, reforestation and use of biochar on land, and enhancement of carbon-absorbing plants such as seagrasses in marine ecosystems and REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) and is the worldwide program especially in developing countries, which can be the important through geo-engineering. The other lies in reducing the anthropogenic emissions of GHG.
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