Logged Forests and Rising Heat Driving Birds to Higher Elevations: Study
An IISc research investigating impacts of logging and climate change on biodiversity-rich tropical mountain forests has revealed intriguing ecological shifts. Analysis of insect-eating tropical bird data collected over 10 years showed logging is pushing smaller species to higher cooler elevations due to hotter temperatures while larger birds declined in logged forests.
Dwindling Resources and Increasing Competition
According to the new study, logged forests have fewer insects vital for bird diets. And higher average temperatures coupled with lower humidity makes these disturbed habitats inhospitable for many birds.
Larger Species Most Threatened
Large birds need more energy and are suffering disproportionate declines in degraded forests unable to meet their ecological needs, unlike smaller adaptable species better colonizing such emerging niches.
Undisturbed Forests Critical for Conservation
The findings thus underscore the critical importance of preserving intact old-growth forests to mitigate biodiversity threats from logging and provide climate migration pathways to species forced to shift habitats due to rising heat.
Unraveling Complex Ecological Changes
As each bird occupies specific niches in tropical mountains harboring exceptionally high diversity, the study unravels the complex ecological transformations catalyzed by human activities like unsustainable logging.
Proposal for Protecting Climate Refugia
Experts suggest that to aid climate adaptation, wildlife managers should prioritize conserving old-growth forests across extensive elevation gradients. This allows temperature-sensitive fauna to keep shifting uwards as lowlands get hotter.
Respecting Nature’s Boundaries
With tropical mountain ecosystems extremely vulnerable even to slight changes, maintaining adequate forest cover and combating regional warming is vital so species aren’t pushed over the brink by humanity’s unsparing ecological footprint.
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Month: Current Affairs - January, 2024
Category: Environment Current Affairs