51风流

Professor's research sheds new light on global warming

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Even though the most significant impact from climate change has been in polar regions, a new report co-authored by assistant professor of biology Catherine Cardel煤s may debunk the notion that tropical plants and animals remain unaffected by global warming.

The research conducted by Cardel煤s and four other scientists was published in this week鈥檚 issue of Science magazine, and media outlets around the world have reported the team鈥檚 findings.

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Assistant professor of biology Catherine Cardel煤s, co-author of a report about global warming, works in a research shelter in Costa Rica.

鈥淯ntil now, there has been little attention given to the impact of a warming climate on tropical diversity,鈥 said Cardel煤s.

鈥淭here is a lingering belief that because species live in hot climates, they can withstand even higher temperatures. This, however, is not necessarily true.鈥

Contrary to conventional wisdom, tropical species living in some of the warmest places on earth may be significantly threatened by global warming, according to the study.

The report indicates that global warming would shift temperature zones uphill and tropical species will likely be driven to higher, cooler elevations by these changes, following the climate zones they are suited for.

Cardel煤s and her fellow researchers, who collected data on 2,000 species of plants and animals along forested slopes of a Costa Rican volcano, believe the results of such a shift could be devastating to lowland tropics.

鈥淟owland tropics do not have a pool of species to replace those driven uphill by warming, which could lead to a decrease in the region鈥檚 biodiversity,鈥 she warned.

More than half the species they studied in Costa Rica could potentially face such risks.

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