September 11th, 2009
A review article in this week’s
Science on the impact of climate change on the Arctic notes that ecosystems are changing fast, and that could portend more shifts in other parts of the world. The authors list numerous examples. Ringed seal pups in the Canadian Arctic have lost birth lairs to early spring melts, while warmer winters have allowed reindeer in Norway to thrive. Arctic fox populations are dropping as red foxes move north. And caribou calving has fallen out of sync with peak plant growth in Greenland, possibly explaining why calf survival has declined.
More here
Arctic nature and wildlife, Canada nature, Norway nature | Tags: Arctic fox, Arctic fox competing with red fox, Arctic fox populations, Canadian Arctic, Greenland plants|
July 20th, 2009
New York Times editorial. “Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has upheld a Bush administration finding that the Endangered Species Act is not a suitable tool for restricting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threatening the polar bear and its habitat. We agree, with this codicil: There are steps Mr. Salazar can and must take under the act — steps that the Bush White House would not — to protect the bear..”
Arctic nature and wildlife, North America nature, United States nature | Tags: Ken Salazar on polar bears, Polar bears, Polar bears and oil|