SeveralanimalspeciesincludinggorillasinRwandaandtigersinBangladeshcouldriskextinctioniftheimpactofclimatechangeandextremeweatherontheirhabitatsisnotaddressed,aUNreportshowedonSunday.Launchedonthesidelinesofglob
SeveralanimalspeciesincludinggorillasinRwandaandtigersinBangladeshcouldriskextinctioniftheimpactofclimatechangeandextremeweatherontheirhabitatsisnotaddressed,aUNreportshowedonSunday.
LaunchedonthesidelinesofglobalclimatenegotiationsinDurban,thereportbytheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganizationshowshowhighertemperatures,theriseinsealevels,deforestationandexcessivelandusehavedamagedthehabitatsofcertainspecies,especiallyinAfrica.
“Manyecosystemshavealreadybeenstressedbyincreasingpopulation,historicalandrecentdeforestation,unsustainablemanagementpracticesandeveninvasive(入侵的)species,”EduardoRojas-Briales,assistantdirectorgeneralattheFAO'sforestrydepartment,saidatthelaunchofthereport.
Themostaffectedareasincludemountains,isolatedislandsandcoastalareas,whichlimitthepossibilitiesforanimalstomigrateelsewhereandcreatenewhabitats.
“Theremainingpopulationsbecomesurroundedinverysmallecosystems,theyhaveinbreeding(近亲交配)problems...andattheendthesespeciesmaydisappear,”headded.
OtherexamplesofaffectedanimalsincludedelephantsinMali,lionsintheSerengetiandcrocodilesinMalawi.
Thereportsaidanestimated20-30percentofplantandanimalspecieswillbeathigherriskofextinctionduetoglobalwarmingandasignificantproportionofnativespeciesmaybecomeextinctby2050asaconsequence.
Otherconsequencescouldincludethespreadofinvasivespeciesandinfectiousdiseases,itsaid.
Thereporturgesmorefocusonrestorationofdamagedecosystems,especiallythosekeytodealingwithclimatechangesuchasmangroves(红树林),inlandwaters,forests,savannahs(非洲大草原)andgrasslands.
TheFAOalsocalledforthecreationofmigrationcorridorsforanimalsinareaswheretheirmovementwaslimited.
Theorganizationsaidwhilemoreresourceswereflowingtobiodiversityconservation,moreactionatthegovernmentandpolicylevelwasneeded.
Italsourgedlocalcommunitiestodevelopprojectsthatmitigatetheimpactofclimatechangeonwildlife,namingeco-tourismactivitiesasanexampleWhatdoestheauthortellus