Mexico: climate change threatens Chihuahua biodiversity

Submitted by WW4 Report on Sun, 07/31/2011 - 04:13

Mexican government and university researchers are warning about threats posed to the survival of 195 plant and animal species in the northern border state of Chihuahua. Studies by the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) have identified a broad gamut of species at risk, including birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians, as well as scores of cactus and other plant varieties.

Semarnat blamed climate change, soil loss, water shortages and human activities for the severe predicament many species face in a state that shares common ecosystems and natural migratory corridors with the southwestern United States.

Like other border zones, Chihuahua has suffered a chain of extreme weather events this year, including deep freezes, drought and unusual heat.

Manuel López Torres, former director of Ciudad Juarez’s old agricultural university, said native species are particularly threatened in the majestic Samalayuca sand dunes that nudge the outskirts of the border city. According to López, the removal and exploitation of sand have put the scorpion lizard and seven kinds of snakes in jeopardy.

"Sand mining" has likewise led to the disappearance of the desert tortoise and the northern fox from the dunes, Lopez said. Another problem, he added, was the dissipation of water sources and the subsequent substitution of forage plants with weeds.

Semarnat’s studies found many other emblematic creatures in danger of extinction, including rattlesnakes, mountain lions, desert big horn sheep, Harris hawks, black bears, turkeys, and prairie dogs. (La Jornada, July 26)

From Frontera NorteSur, July 29

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Animals moving north to escape global warming

Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 20:53

So global warming doesn't exist? Somebody forgot to tell the animals. From the Canadian Press, Aug. 18:

WASHINGTON - Animals across the world are fleeing global warming by heading north much faster than they were less than a decade ago, a new study says.

About 2,000 species examined are moving away from the equator at an average rate of more than 15 feet (5 metres) per day, about a mile per year, according to new research published Thursday in the journal Science which analyzed previous studies. Species are also moving up mountains to escape the heat, but more slowly, averaging about 4 feet a year.

The species—mostly from the Northern Hemisphere and including plants—moved in fits and starts, but over several decades it averages to about 8 inches (20 centimetres) an hour away from the equator.

"The speed is an important issue," said study main author Chris Thomas of the University of York. "It is faster than we thought."