Projected Impacts of Climate and Land-Use Change on Birds
Author Information
Author(s): Walter Jetz, David S. Wilcove, Andrew P. Dobson
Primary Institution: University of California San Diego
Hypothesis
How will climate and land-use changes affect the global diversity of bird species?
Conclusion
The study predicts that climate and land-use changes will significantly reduce the geographic ranges of many bird species, especially in tropical regions.
Supporting Evidence
- At least 400 bird species are projected to suffer more than 50% range reductions by 2050.
- The study highlights that species most at risk are predominantly narrow-ranged and endemic to the tropics.
- Even under benign scenarios, significant declines in bird species are expected due to climate and land-use changes.
Takeaway
Birds are losing their homes because of climate change and people changing the land, especially in warm places where many different kinds of birds live.
Methodology
The study used Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scenarios to evaluate the exposure of 8,750 land bird species to projected land-cover changes.
Potential Biases
The reliance on existing range maps may introduce biases in estimating species distributions.
Limitations
The study assumes stationary geographic ranges, which may overestimate actual losses.
Participant Demographics
The study focuses on 8,750 species of land birds globally.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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