Even though the Sahara desert is reognized today as one of the most recognizable and pertinent deserts on earth, as little as 6,000 years ago, the Sahara desert was covered in grasslands that recieved plenty of rainfall, but shifts in the world's weather patterns transformed the vegetated region into some of the driest land on Earth. Researchers from Texas A&M University are trying to see what exactly caused this enormous climate transformation. One of the reasons for this change could have been due to the fact that the tropical rain belt moved north, which would contribute to the dryness of the area. Research has shown that many rain patterns have been known to move over time. I believe this is important because with these findings and advancement in the knowledge of rain patterns, we can larn to predict rainfall patterns in the future. We can also figure out how outside factors, like human activity, can contribute to rain patterns and their migration. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161130141053.htm
0 Comments
Climate change itself is the single most dangerous threat to a vast majority of the animal kingdom by reducing biodiversity. When it comes to amphibians like the European tree frog, the Mediterranean tree frog and the Iberian painted frog, scientists have found that the climate changes actually have effected their dietary choices. Amphibians are a group that is highly sensitive to global warming due to the permeability of their skin and their complex lifecycle, which combines an aquatic stage as larvae and a terrestrial stage when young and as adults. Scientists conducted an experiment in which they placed the three different frog species in different climates to see how they would react. The most important result is that these larvae have very flexible dietary habits. All three species increased the percentage of vegetables consumed during heat waves.
This experiment shows that even though climate change has created endangerment and extinction, some species are able to adapt to climactic changes. They favor a vegetarian diet when exposed to warmer climates, and it is unknown how many other species share this trait. I believe it is important fpr us to be informed on these species' coping mechanisms to climate change. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161103115201.htm |
AuthorNatalie Archives
November 2016
Categories |