Crisis Knocks Amphibians Hard: Heatwaves and Droughts Pose Major Threats
Intense heatwaves and prolonged drought worsen amphibian predicament - Intense heatwaves and dry spells exacerbate challenges for amphibian populations.
Hey there! So, you know that whole climate crisis thingy going on? Well, it's really doing a number on our little amphibian friends, especially in the hotspots like Europe, Madagascar, and Central Europe.
In Central Europe, our pal, the salamander, is feeling the heat. Half of Europe's natty true salamanders—the fire salamander, alpine salamander, and common newt—are already exposed to longer dry spells. Unfortunately, this situation seems to be getting even drier, according to a Frankfurt research team published in the journal "Conservation Biology".
Evan Twomey, the guy leading this academic squad from Frankfurt's Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, dived into 40 years of weather data from across the globe. His focus? The relationship between heatwaves, cold spells, droughts, and the geographical distribution of over 7,000 amphibian species.
Turns out, where the heat and drought-filled summer days are, the amphibians' Red List status gets a whole lot scarier. Since 2004, they've seen a significant rise in threatened amphibian species, all thanks to the heat and droughts.
Fun fact: Amphibians are ridiculously dependent on their temporary wetlands for breeding. You know what that means? When those dry up because of (you guessed it) heatwaves and droughts, imagine a Roomba trying to roll around on bare floors, yee-haw!
In the wild, around 40% of amphibian species are on the critically endangered list. Run of the mill suspects like habitat loss, diseases, and pollution are on top of the list for their demise. But climate change sure ain't helping.
- Amphibians
- Climate crisis
- Heatwave
- Drought
- Central Europe
- Frankfurt
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
- Europe
- Madagascar
- The climate crisis is posing significant threats to amphibians, particularly in hotspots like Central Europe, where the salamander is currently experiencing longer dry spells due to heatwaves and droughts, as reported by a Frankfurt research team from Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität.
- In an analysis of 40 years of weather data from around the globe, Evan Twomey, the team leader from Frankfurt's renowned university, found a connection between heatwaves, droughts, and the distribution of over 7,000 amphibian species, with heatwave and drought-prone areas seeing a rise in threatened amphibian species since 2004.
- To maintain the health and well-being of amphibians and protect them from the impacts of climate change, environmental policies and health and safety regulations at work must address climate change, environmental science, and the protection of these sensitive creatures, along with addressing other factors such as habitat loss, diseases, and pollution.
