What are two ways Humans can preserve biomass? How Animals Fight Global WarmingInving to AdaptSeveral years have passed since studies conclusively demonstrated that global warming is changing where and when many animals feed and reproduce. In 2003, two importantreports showed that more than 100 species have shifted their habitat ranges toward the poles at an average of 4 miles a decade and that thousands of others were emerging,migrating or breeding days to weeks earlier than they did a century ago.The Dangers of ChangeAnimal species differ in the way they adapt to climate change. As a result, range shifts by animal populations can create problems for animals that remain in their historicalranges. Similarly, changes in seasonal timing can take animals out of sync with the seasonal appearance of the plants and prey they need to survive.Desperate AdaptationsNow a scattering of reports from around the world suggest these mismatches may be producing a new level of behavioral changes. "The first kinds of behavioral changes werechanges in range and timing," says Camille Parmesan, a biologist at the University of Texas, Austin. "Now we're seeing changes in diets and other behaviors that show someanimals are trying to adapt to their new circumstances. Unfortunately, may instances are more an act of desperation than a true adaptation."Bears on Thin IceArctic ice cap melting, which has been increasing for years, spells big trouble for polar bears, because their main prey, ringed seals give birth on the ice in April and May,providing the bears with most of the food they need to survive the lean summer ahead, "With the ice breakup advancing three weeks over the last 30 years, that means a lot ofthin and hungry bears coming onto land each spring," says lan Stirling, a veteran polar bear biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service.The Changing Polar Bear DietAlready, increasing numbers of polar bears are coming into towns and hunting camps in search of food. At the same time, the first bears to come off the ice each spring arebeginning to overlap with the nesting season of Arctic geese and ducks. Some experts believe this may be turning an occasional deviation-a polar bear snacking oneggs-into a regular habit. "We're definitely seeing an increase in the last five to six years," says snow goose expert Robert Rockwell of the American Museum of NaturalHistory.Polar Bears. Snow Geese and Global WarmingAn increase in egg-gobbling polar bears is affecting the colonies of snow geese at northern Manitoba's La Perouse Bay. But this change might turn out to be a good thing, notesRockwell. "In 1969, this goose colony had around 2,500 nesting pairs," he explains. "Now it's over 50,000." This population explosion may stem from the increased availability ofcorn and rice in the goose's wintering grounds across the northern plains. "Lots of people think it's cool to see these beautiful funnel clouds of snow geese," Rockwell says."Problem is, the Arctic environment is very fragile, and these guys have beaten it to death."Eggs Aren't Enough for BearsIn any event, veteran polar bear biologists such as Stirling don't think goose eggs will save hungry bears. "An adult polar bear needs to eat around 43 ringed seals or theequivalent to make it through a year," Stirling points out. "That's a huge amount of biomass that makes the seasonal intake of goose eggs by a few polar bears look trivial."Changes in ChromosomesMany survival instincts are hardwired into an animal's genes. Changes in day length, for example, trigger migration, mating or hibernation in many species. Many insects andother invertebrates also are programmed to respond to set images of what to eat or where to lay eggs. "A change in these responses requires wholesale changes in geneticmakeup," Parmesan, a wildlife biologist explains. For example, Parmesan discovered in the 1990s that a West Coast butterfly called Edith's checkerspot had shifted its rangenorth, one of the first examples of a clear relationship between behavior and global warming.Which Species Are Most Likely to Survive Global Warming?In general, insects and other animals with short life cycles and large broods stand the best chance of making the rapid genetic adaptations that global warming demands.Unfortunately, most species, especially larger mammals, have slow reproductive cycles. Many wildlife biologists believe that the climate change we're seeing is far faster thanmost organisms' ability to evolve. As a result, their survival will require people to change in two significant ways. We need to both reduce our carbon footprint to slow globalwarming, and we need to strengthen environmental protection in a way that makes habitats more resilient in the face of climate change.

Biomass is plant or animal material used as fuel to produce electricity or heat.Example are…

Answered: What are two ways Humans can preserve…

11th Edition

ISBN:9780134580999

Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...