Tropical bird populations have plummeted not only due to deforestation but also extreme heat attributable to climate change, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Tropical bird populations have plummeted not only due to deforestation but also extreme heat attributable to climate change, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Intensifying temperatures caused a 25-38% reduction in tropical bird populations between 1950 and 2020, compared to a scenario without manmade global warming, scientists based in Europe and Australia reported.
« The findings are pretty stark », lead author Maximilian Kotz, a researcher at the National Supercomputing Center in Barcelona and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP.
Bird populations in the tropics now face 30 days of heat extremes per year compared to three per year in the mid-20th century, he noted.
« This has major consequences for how we think about biodiversity conservation », Kotz said by email. « Protecting pristine habitats is crucial, but without dealing with climate change it won’t be enough for birds.
