Phenology

The Phenology Network is a charity organisation that has been recording the first sightings/buddings/flowerings of different species since the 18th century.  It was founded by Robert Marsham in 1736 and was carried on by his family until 1958.  Marsham recorded 27 different events for over 20 different species, i.e. the first snowdrop flowering, the first migratory birds arriving and the first croak of the frog [1].

Since then, hundreds of other people have recorded similar events over the last two centuries either as a hobby or as a volunteer of the Woodland Trust and/or Royal Meteorology Society.  These events have been recorded all over the UK and can be used to identify changes in flowering and migration dates of many different species as an indicator of climate change.  Scientists have used this data to build up a record of these events over the last 250 years.  Amano et al published a paper on changes in flowering dates in the past 250 years and how climate has affected these [2].  It was calculated that each 1 degree increase in temperature meant plants flowered 5 days earlier on average.  

The first flowering of plants and budding of trees can greatly affect whole ecosystems.  Some migratory birds rely on climate to time their migration periods, however most species of birds time their migration with day length.  As day length doesn’t change with temperature rise, most migratory birds are still migrating on the same day they always have and therefore are at risk of prey having already been eaten due to the earlier migration of other birds.  This can indirectly cause shifts in distribution of species as they become more dominant in areas where prey is available at a later date.

References:

[1] http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/

[2] Amano, T, R. Smithers, T. Sparks and W. Sutherland (2011), 'A 250-year index of first flowering dates and its response to temperature changes', Proceedings of the Royal Society, 277, 2451-2457.

Invasive Species and Disease

Perhaps one of the most important and deadly consequences of climate change is the effects warming will have on invasive species and the spread of disease.
Invasive species are species which are introduced to an area (e.g. by humans or climate change), are able to survive and breed there and consequently create competition with native species often out competing them.  Invasive species can also been seen as pests, such as certain species of insects, which then eat/damage crops and harm wildlife.  Invasive species can spread disease easily from one area to another - for example mosquitoes and ticks.

Climate change is warming the planet.  Areas that were previously too cold for ticks and mosquitoes to survive in are now warm enough for them to invade.  This will increase in the years to come as temperatures increase globally.  Virus carrying insects are becoming more and more prevalent in areas previously inhabitable [1].  These diseases are likely to affect not only animals but humans as well.  The likelihood of animals viruses being contracted in humans will also increase as the number of different viruses as well as the spread of each increases [2].
Areas as far as the Arctic are set to be affected by the spread of disease.  As Arctic marine temperatures increase, the number of fish pathogens has also increased.  Fish under stress due to warming conditions are more susceptible to these pathogens.  As sea ice reduces, summers become longer and milder.  These new conditions allow increased growth of larvae and parasitic larvae.  Bacteria caused disease, free living viruses and disease brought in by migratory birds are also all set to increase. [3].
The biggest cause of increased disease is change in species range - mostly those of virus carrying insects, ticks and mosquitoes.  There are many factors that counteract the increase in disease carrying insects, however, humans should prepare for more numerous and frequent disease outbreaks in the upcoming future.

References:
[1] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629102150.htm
[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7657415.stm
[3] Bradley et al (2005), 'The potential impact of climate change on infection diseases of Arctic fauna', International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 64, 468-477.

Killer whales and Gentoo penguins

Last night was the last episode of Frozen Planet! It has been an AMAZING series and now I've decided I'm definitely going Polar travelling after Uni!

Last night's episode was called 'On Thin Ice' and investigated the impact of climate change on the poles and how this has effected the wildlife living there.  A lot of the wildlife in the poles is at risk due to climate change as their way of life on the sea ice has to change.  The 30% reduction in sea ice that has been seen since satellite records began in the 1970s has a large impact on polar wildlife.  For example, polar bears need sea ice to hunt on - with this massive reduction it means they have to return to land and their summers without food are longer and longer.
However, it is not all negative for polar wildlife - some species are now able to occupy new areas that they couldn't previously.  Killer whales (Orcinus orca) have thinner blubber and larger dorsal fins than other polar whales.  These features prevent them from moving too poleward as the presence of sea ice is too much of a challenge to swim under with their large fins.  However, since the reduction in sea ice, a significant change has been seen in the sightings of Killer whales.  The increased number of sightings further inland than before suggest that larger populations of Killer whales are now able to live and hunt in these areas previously covered in ice. [1],[2].
Another example of species thriving in these new conditions include the Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) which were previously known to inhabit warmer islands north of Antarctica.  In the last few decades, the number of these penguins seen around the Antarctic Peninsular has increased significantly.  This is due to the warming of the seas around the peninsular and the reduction in sea ice. [1]

If you haven't been watching frozen planet...go to BBC Iplayer NOW while the whole series is still online!

References:
[1] BBC Frozen Planet (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zj39j/Frozen_Planet_On_Thin_Ice/)
[2] Higdon, W & S. H. Ferguson (2009), 'Loss of Arctic sea ice causing punctuated change in sightings of killer whales (Orcinus orca) over the past century', Ecological Applications, 19, 1365-1375.