Impact Of Logging And Climate Change On Biodiversity : IISc Research
An IISc research investigating impacts of logging and climate change on biodiversity-rich tropical mountain forests has revealed intriguing ecological shifts.
- Analysis of insect-eating tropical bird data collected over 10 years showed logging is pushing smaller species to higher cooler elevations due to hotter temperatures while larger birds declined in logged forests.
- Large birds need more energy and are suffering disproportionate declines in degraded forests unable to meet their ecological needs, unlike smaller adaptable species better colonizing such emerging niches.
- The findings thus underscore the critical importance of preserving intact old-growth forests to mitigate biodiversity threats from logging and provide climate migration pathways to species forced to shift habitats due to rising heat.
- Experts suggest that to aid climate adaptation, wildlife managers should prioritize conserving old-growth forests across extensive elevation gradients.
- This allows temperature-sensitive fauna to keep shifting uwards as lowlands get hotter.
