Climate change may jeopardise biodiversity in Portugal
Climate change could put Portugal in a situation of severe extinctions, particularly in terms of mammals in about 20-30 years, says in a Skype interview, Diogo André Algador, researcher at the University of Évora and at the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO).
The effect of climate change on mammals in Portugal, is something that still cannot be directly established because its effects on mammals, other species of animals and plants in Portugal is still relatively recent. However, “here at CIBIO, what we do is to apply models that basically try to guess what will happen in 20-30 years and then present some particular species of mammals that can become extinct in our country”, said Diogo André Algador.
At the present time, one of the particular cases is the Iberian lynx. The Iberian lynx is the feline closest to extinction. “Over the past decade, the number of animals did not exceed in nature the hundred and fifty. In Portugal, spotting one of them could only be achieved in dreams, with one or two exceptions”, as can be read in the newspaper “Público” published in 2013. “Climate change will quickly and severely decrease the abundance of the lynx and probably lead to the extinction of the species in the wild within 50 years, even if there is a strong global effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases”, claims an article by the international team that includes two Portuguese, and published in 2013 in the journal Nature Climate Change, quoted by the same newspaper.
The impact of climate change on the lynx is something important and dangerous. “To survive in the wild, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) depends on the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which is their main food source (about 90% of the feline’s feeding). In recent decades, the rabbit has been faced with epidemics that have decimated the population. In addition, the decrease in available habitat, hunting and a disease that affects the Iberian lynx have been fatal to this feline”, adds the news. The number of individuals of this species has declined in a significant way and climate change can lead to its complete extinction; the effect of climate change could be the fatal blow, if nothing is done. “Less rabbits means fewer lynx”, as explained in the same newspaper by Miguel Araújo, coordinator of the study, who divides his time between the University of Évora and the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid.
“The extinction of species itself is the final step in terms of change in biodiversity”
Diogo Algador states that “the extinction of the species itself is the last step in terms of change in biodiversity. Before that, there is a reduction of the population, which in itself is already dangerous; and afterwards species move from one place to another”. The Portuguese researcher puts forward an example: “A species that live, for example, in Vila do Conde, in 10 years, with climate warming, it will become too hot for them to live there, so they will have to try to find a place with better conditions for survival, in this case by migrating a bit to the north, for instance, to Braga. And to cover these kilometres, the species will often have to go through places where there are humans, where there are cities, which are usually areas with many disorders that species dislike.” Thus, the researcher concludes that “the combination of climate change with the impact that the humans have on them (such as the pursuit of some species for hunting purposes, exploitation of resources...) affects the species. These are processes that occur prior to extinction, and if everything goes wrong and we do not adopt some conservation measures, then, yes, species will become extinct”, he adds.
In terms of climatic factors that can cause changes in biodiversity, the most common and most talked about is the temperature, considering the fact that the weather is becoming increasingly warmer. Temperature is a major factor, but it is not the only one, and many others can be considered, such as precipitation (the amount of rain and how it is distributed throughout the year). There are certain climatic factors that we, humankind, experience or feel, it is not only in terms of temperature, sometimes it is in terms of weather extremes. In mammals, the types of tolerances and physiology are less well known in relation to other living beings (e.g., corals are affected by high water temperatures), however, “it is known that they respond to thermal changes and other climatic factors such as rains, the so-called climatic extremes and all that”, affirms Diogo Alagador.
As explained above, the impact of humans also contributes to the development of certain events, so it is necessary to adopt correct behaviours to avoid worsening the current situation, particularly with regard to the effects of climate change, as these affect both living beings and the human being.
As the expert Diogo Alagador says “Of course we can, somehow reverse the process of climate change. First of all, every one of us must reduce pollution—the so-called “human footprint”—, we should often avoid some habits that promote the release of gases with greenhouse effect, our pressure on ecosystems, which have immediate effect on climate change”. Nevertheless, “a study that came out recently”, states that even if we stop producing greenhouse gases starting from this moment, and even if the whole society changes its behaviour, “there will always be climate change”. “These alterations may be of greater or lesser magnitude depending on our daily behaviours; hence, if climate changes are smaller, the impacts will also be smaller”, namely the decrease of individuals of a particular species in Portugal, which can later lead to extinctions, and all that it entails.
At the present time, one of the particular cases is the Iberian lynx. The Iberian lynx is the feline closest to extinction. “Over the past decade, the number of animals did not exceed in nature the hundred and fifty. In Portugal, spotting one of them could only be achieved in dreams, with one or two exceptions”, as can be read in the newspaper “Público” published in 2013. “Climate change will quickly and severely decrease the abundance of the lynx and probably lead to the extinction of the species in the wild within 50 years, even if there is a strong global effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases”, claims an article by the international team that includes two Portuguese, and published in 2013 in the journal Nature Climate Change, quoted by the same newspaper.
The impact of climate change on the lynx is something important and dangerous. “To survive in the wild, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) depends on the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which is their main food source (about 90% of the feline’s feeding). In recent decades, the rabbit has been faced with epidemics that have decimated the population. In addition, the decrease in available habitat, hunting and a disease that affects the Iberian lynx have been fatal to this feline”, adds the news. The number of individuals of this species has declined in a significant way and climate change can lead to its complete extinction; the effect of climate change could be the fatal blow, if nothing is done. “Less rabbits means fewer lynx”, as explained in the same newspaper by Miguel Araújo, coordinator of the study, who divides his time between the University of Évora and the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid.
“The extinction of species itself is the final step in terms of change in biodiversity”
Diogo Algador states that “the extinction of the species itself is the last step in terms of change in biodiversity. Before that, there is a reduction of the population, which in itself is already dangerous; and afterwards species move from one place to another”. The Portuguese researcher puts forward an example: “A species that live, for example, in Vila do Conde, in 10 years, with climate warming, it will become too hot for them to live there, so they will have to try to find a place with better conditions for survival, in this case by migrating a bit to the north, for instance, to Braga. And to cover these kilometres, the species will often have to go through places where there are humans, where there are cities, which are usually areas with many disorders that species dislike.” Thus, the researcher concludes that “the combination of climate change with the impact that the humans have on them (such as the pursuit of some species for hunting purposes, exploitation of resources...) affects the species. These are processes that occur prior to extinction, and if everything goes wrong and we do not adopt some conservation measures, then, yes, species will become extinct”, he adds.
In terms of climatic factors that can cause changes in biodiversity, the most common and most talked about is the temperature, considering the fact that the weather is becoming increasingly warmer. Temperature is a major factor, but it is not the only one, and many others can be considered, such as precipitation (the amount of rain and how it is distributed throughout the year). There are certain climatic factors that we, humankind, experience or feel, it is not only in terms of temperature, sometimes it is in terms of weather extremes. In mammals, the types of tolerances and physiology are less well known in relation to other living beings (e.g., corals are affected by high water temperatures), however, “it is known that they respond to thermal changes and other climatic factors such as rains, the so-called climatic extremes and all that”, affirms Diogo Alagador.
As explained above, the impact of humans also contributes to the development of certain events, so it is necessary to adopt correct behaviours to avoid worsening the current situation, particularly with regard to the effects of climate change, as these affect both living beings and the human being.
As the expert Diogo Alagador says “Of course we can, somehow reverse the process of climate change. First of all, every one of us must reduce pollution—the so-called “human footprint”—, we should often avoid some habits that promote the release of gases with greenhouse effect, our pressure on ecosystems, which have immediate effect on climate change”. Nevertheless, “a study that came out recently”, states that even if we stop producing greenhouse gases starting from this moment, and even if the whole society changes its behaviour, “there will always be climate change”. “These alterations may be of greater or lesser magnitude depending on our daily behaviours; hence, if climate changes are smaller, the impacts will also be smaller”, namely the decrease of individuals of a particular species in Portugal, which can later lead to extinctions, and all that it entails.
Work by: Ana Catarina Santos, Bruno Cunha e João Pedro Coentrão
7th Grade
Escola Básica de Frei João de Vila do Conde (Middle School)
This work was carried out under the Flash Seminar held on the 4th, 18th and the 25th of May 2015 at Escola Básica de Frei João de Vila do Conde (Middle School). Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.
7th Grade
Escola Básica de Frei João de Vila do Conde (Middle School)
This work was carried out under the Flash Seminar held on the 4th, 18th and the 25th of May 2015 at Escola Básica de Frei João de Vila do Conde (Middle School). Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.