Air pollution greatly affects humans. Many reports have been put out explaining the detrimental effects of pollution that can cause problems such as asthma, the ability to reproduce, and bronchitis. These are numerous examples of the difficulties embracing the modern world as climate change worsens. And not only does air pollution affect the animals, but it also affects their food sources. Plants absorb toxic chemicals from soils, which gain pollution from the air surrounding it. Air pollution effects can range anywhere for animals from cancer to asthma, like humans. Air pollution has steadily worsened since the Industrial Revolution Age in the United States. As an influx of fossil fuels have been utilized, the world has reaped serious consequences. Certain solutions such as solar energy, electric cars and supporting clean energy commitments are able to help the air pollution problem, but are not enough to save the world from these devastating effects. Recently, the western hemisphere of the United States has been under attack from long fire seasons and hot summers. This has caused more smoke to join the atmosphere, thus worsening air pollution in states such as California, Idaho, Montana and other western states.

My research this month delved into the effects of air pollution on animals, but more specifically, the effects of air pollution on bat activity in mixed coniferous forest areas. I wanted to better understand how this climate problem is affecting a keystone species. Bats are most obviously affected by climate problems such as deforestation and encroaching settlements in these areas. But more obviously, air pollution has begun to show concerning effects for bat populations in these forests. The places where there is more pollution, such as where metals have been released into the air and other chemicals are scratching the lungs of these bats, consistently had less flight activity. This can be explained as well as less insects traveling and living in this area due to the poor air. Plants as well suffered in these highly-toxic areas which again affects the insect and bat populations. Bat colonies have much higher diversity in their species as well as more flight patterns in areas when there is less air pollution. 

This piece of information from a recent study shows the necessity for protecting this population. While salmon are integral for river ecosystems, bats are integral for cave ecosystems. They are a keystone species that has silently supported many other lifeforms throughout their existence. By supporting organizations that protect these animals, such as Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation, we are able to make a stand against bat dissipation. Air pollution has recently become a large climate problem in the United States, due to many people fleeing their homes this summer due to the unprecedented amount of fires. Bats deserve to have a clean troposphere for hunting, communicating, and migrating. As more dust and chemical pollutants become evident in the Earth’s atmosphere, these impai the bats greatly and decrease their survival. There must be a higher protection for the troposphere by reducing air pollution through more advanced fire safety.