Warmer Temperatures and Local Plants and Animals
Durango Herald, Jan 9, 2007
Nikki Pease, 8th Grade Miller Miller School

A marmot’s habitat is mostly grass and rocks with few trees. Their territory is about 20,000 to 30,000 square metres (about 6 acres) around a number of summer burrows. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

While walking to school one day this December, I noticed a lack of snow on the ground. For heavens sake, it was December! Where was the snow? I asked myself that over and over. As a frequent skier and boarder, the lack of snow concerned me.

Then, I started wondering if the lack of snow and warmer temperatures were affecting, not just the people of Durango, but also plants and animals here and everywhere.

How were animals that hibernate affected? What about plant growth or animal migration? A little research gave me some answers to these questions.

First, what about all those hibernating animals?

Near Crested Butte, scientists set up a laboratory seventy-five years ago called the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL). The research gathered over the years shows how warmer temperatures are affecting the meadow where the lab is located. Snowfall has not really changed, but temperatures have become warmer. As a result, hibernating marmots wake early only to find their food supply still covered with snow.

It's not just marmots that are affected. It's all hibernators. Because they wake earlier, hibernating animals are breeding and migrating earlier. And like the marmots, they are waking to find their food still covered in snow.

What about plants? How do warmer temperatures affect them?

Studies show dramatic changes in the timing of when leaves first appear in the spring and when they fall off in autumn. On average, growing seasons in North America are 12 days longer and in Eurasia 18 days longer than they were two decades ago.

This is apparently affected plants in several ways. In Yellowstone, scientists think that beetle infestations in Whitebark pines have increased as because of warmer temperatures. The loss of these trees would be bad for the grizzlies who feed on the pine seeds.

Studies also show that largely populated areas such as New York, Madrid, Ankara, and Beijing, have become greener. This may be a good thing or a bad thing. These cities are more beautiful and the plants are using up excess carbon dioxide, but the greening of these cities also means that the plants in these populated areas are getting greener because there is more carbon dioxide available. Not good!

And what about migratory and other animals?

Studies showed that mosquitoes are staying active longer in August. Not fun!

Also, the European blackcap, a bird that breeds in Germany and migrates southwest to winter in Spain and Portugal, has begun to migrate west to England, which now has a suitable winter climate.

Finally, we can't forget that ski and board seasons will start later and end early all around the globe if these warmer temperatures keep up. Definitely not good!

Nikki Pease is an eighth grader at Miller Middle School and the daughter of Steve and Allison Pease.
Teachers and parents! DNS welcomes student guest writers several times each year. For more information, contact DNS at (970) 382-9244.