Predicting The Effect Of Climate Change On Bird Populations

The Earth’s climate has changed over the centuries, and is expected to continue to rise due to human activites. The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, which creates a greenhouse effect and warms the climate. Since human population is increasing, more food is needed to sustain the large population. In return, agriculture adds to this effect because farms release methane. Trees and other plants are needed because they yet they take carbon dioxide in and release oxygen which is good for environment and if significant, can even help fight global warming. These plants are being cut down at an alarming rates also due to human activities. Although, the earth has always had warming trends, the current warming trend is more significant because it is occurring at an extraordinary rapid rate (Shaftel 2016). This environmental change is disturbing numerous plant and animal species behavior, distribution and health. Birds are …show more content…
This research needs to be expanded all over the world to gain more knowledge of avian responses at a geographic scale. Most research has been on single study sites, so the scope needs to be broadened. Ecological and evolutionary knowledge of plasticity in fluctuating environments is required for predicting the effects of climate change on bird populations. Evidence supports that global climate change can negatively impact timing of breeding, nest success, distributions and populations. However, little is known about the consequences of plasticity and further research will need to be conducted in the following years to see how high levels of plasticity affects bird populations (Dunn and Wrinkler 2010). In conclusion, although we do not know all the effects of climate change, we do know that it is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the present