The Different Ways Animals Adapt to Climate Change
Warming temperatures are forcing animals worldwide to alter their behaviors, from migration timing to breeding seasons. A recent study highlights how species are adapting phenologically, changing life activity schedules for survival. Crucially, an...
The effects of warming on animal behavior have been observed in different areas of the world. For example, birds migrate early, breeding seasons have changed, and other behavioral patterns related to movement and activity have changed. All these changes are part of the bigger picture of the reactions of the animals to the process of warming, and it is essential because the timing of certain actions becomes vital for survival.
In an extensive study published in Nature Communications, a large number of different species were analyzed. It was found that there is a phenological adaptation among the animals, which means that they adapt to new conditions by changing the timing of important life activities, such as reproduction.
Behavioral changes are fast
Indeed, this research makes another distinction between behavioral and physical adaptations. The former ones can take place fast since they imply changing certain behaviors in order to survive in the changed environment. The latter ones take much longer as they require genetic modifications in several generations of a living organism. According to research cited in Scientific American magazine, sometimes a discrepancy can appear, which leads to difficulties for the species adapting too slowly with the help of behavioral changes. It is possible to say that organisms will try to cope with a new environment by changing their habits, yet eventually physical adaptation must follow.
Image Credit: Gemini
Location actually matters more than species?
The other important observation made by researchers is that location plays a much more significant role in adaptation than the species itself. Scientists have found that the environment within which a species is located determines its response to climate change. Two populations of the same species can exhibit completely opposite adaptation behaviors according to the type of environment in which they live. Research published in Current Biology shows that microclimate, nutrition, and temperature differences in the environment influence this response. Adaptation is not a solitary act. It is a blend of time, behavior, and environment that determines the success of a species in adapting to change.
