Global Warming Effects May Kill Off Hibernating Animals
Tue, Feb 5, 2008
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The list of the effects of global warming keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Nice marmot. Photo by Tnsnick
Now scientists believe that global warming affects hibernating animals, causing them to wake up earlier. While this may seem a trivial concern, it is in fact a legitimate environmental problem. The shortened hibernation period could actually lead to significant declines in the populations of several species
Several species, including marmots, chipmunks, and brown bears, have all been seen to either reduce their hibernation period or not hibernate at all. This can cause starvation and, possibly, increased numbers of some animals being eaten by predators.
Some of the first concrete evidence of the phenomenon came from Colorado, where researchers at the Rocky Mountain Biological lab have been observing marmot hibernation behaviour since the 1970s. In the early days of their studies, marmots generally hibernated several weeks into the month of May. Nowadays, however, temperatures in the area have risen by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the marmots are waking up about a month earlier.
At least the marmots are still hibernating. Several other animals have not been hibernating at all recently. Brown bears in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains did not hibernate last year. In parts of the United States, chipmunks also skipped the hibernation period. The bears seem to have survived without losing many individuals. The chipmunks, however, did not fare so well. Many of the animals died of starvation during the winter.
The problem with animals waking up early, or skipping hibernation altogether, lies with the creatures’ metabolism. When an animal hibernates, their metabolism drops significantly. The animals’ heart rate slows, and they require very little energy to live. When the animals awake from their winter slumber, their metabolism returns to normal.
But while their metabolism may be as active as it was before hibernation, food sources aren’t as available as they were before. A marmot may wake up when temperatures get warmer, thinking it’s spring, but plants will not have gotten the amount of sun they need to signal their spring period of growth. So until the plants grow, the marmots have no reliable food source. This has led to starvation in some instances, and even accounts of marmots trying to eat trees to survive.
Many scientists believe the problem will continue to get worse as the effects of global warming become more pronounced. In addition to changes in hibernation patterns, some believe that other animals will also begin to change their migration patterns or begin to give birth earlier. For many biologists, that’s a scary prospect. Terry Root, an animal expert at Stanford University, said: “I do think what we will be facing is the extinction of many species.”
Info from National Geographic
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“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else.”
February 5th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Fuck.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Global Warming can scarcely be denied. All the evidence points to the fact that it is happening, and will continue to happen if we don’t drastically reduce CO2 levels immediately. I found a petition which is telling Congress to take action, and, as we gain signatures, money is donated to stop global warming.
http://www.petitionearth.com/viewpetition.php?id=76
Please, we need to speak out to save our planet.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
ur web site rockes u guys.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I had no clue global warming could affect something like this. I mean we all no the things like polar bears are dying and cars are now becoming hybrids but hiberating stopping? Really?? Seriously?? WOW!! This website really opened up my eyes to see what is going on arund us. I love this website and I will now continue to look through this website. I hope you all do the same.
June 13th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
my eyes moisredwhen i read the areticle!! how can we be so cruel towards nature!! please search for a solution before it is too LATTTEE!!!!
September 11th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Oh yeah remember at the end of Back to the Future when Doc fuels the Delorian with trash after coming back from the future? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate fuel. We’re humans, we produce trash. If we can use that trash to fuel our vehicles, and heat our homes it would be perfect. Run out of gas on the side of the road no problem, just throw in some of the countless amounts of litter we discard on our highways each day. It would make it even better if the output was unfiltered water (we do use water in just about every manufactured product). Just a thought.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
when will we stop using gas and other stuff that causes global warming? im very angry
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:07 pm
This is just so sad!we need to stop using machines,and stuff…This is what happens when we use stuff constantly,such as cars,snow machines,(etc).Global Warming is taking effect on animals,includes whales,dolphins,(etc.)When will we the people ever stop using machines to do stuff???
February 18th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I think we should stop Global Warming because we are making animals die and they are living in danger. Polar bears ice is melting and a lot of bad things are happining. I love animals and i dont want no more animals dieing and i dont want to hear any more animals dieng because we dont take care of the eviroment. So we need to stop!
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
wait how does animals not hibernating cause them to die this article doesnt make any sense
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:40 pm
global warming seems like it will actiully help the chipmunks in a while because no winter will mean that food will be more abundant than ever
and saying that brown bears dont hibernate and then saying there isnt a problem with that thats really hypocritical
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:44 pm
and besides if we go completely the other direction and have another ice age there wont be any plants to eat they would all be frozen and the hibernating animals wouldnt wake up
therfore i think global warming is a good thing
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:51 pm
and for all the people before my barrage of comments that say global warming needs to stop
i want you to look at this:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1968880.ece
March 5th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Ok. so i think that people are to blame for global warming at the sametime it was a way to survive. but there are scientist out there that can make a change in things. soon were going to run out of oil to provide gas. why can’t people have a better way to travel. we are killing animals out there and we dont even know it sometimes. how would you feel if you couldn’t help with the way you live and some millions of people are destroying your home. how would you feel?? this is a huge issue and it makes me sick!!! think of others like animals as well
March 6th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Wow..=]
April 5th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
i never knew that there was so damage to the world and gods creatures and that if we dont stop the global warming effects that we may never have alot of things that we kind of take for granted for.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
nice!!!!
April 29th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
just keep chilling
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Yes I totally agree. Global warming is forcing animals to adapt much faster to new climate conditions and many animals won’t be able to do so. I have read here http://ecologicalproblems.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-does-global-warming-affect-animals.html that many animals will go extinct once climate change impact strengthens. This is sad true.
May 26th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
This is so stupid, why do people not see what is going on with global warming!! I HATE GLOBAL WARMING, SOME PEOPLE JSUT IGNORE IT, IT’S SO STUPID, IT ALSO MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL!!
June 9th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
this web page really helped me with my project
October 12th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Why does de enviromental global impact have such affeect on animaliers?
October 27th, 2009 at 1:25 am
i mean, really. people need a better way than this! Tell all ur friends we need to change to save all the animals!