Rising Temperature Leading To Decline In Bird Diversity In Cities; Will We Observe Birds In Cities After Couple Of Years?

Rising temperature caused by climate change is not only harming humans but also destroying ecological diversity.

Can you imagine a place without chirping of birds? Would you like to stay in that kind of place? Eventually, the global warming may take us to that kind of environment after couple of years. Climate change and rapid urbanisation are one of the most pervasive and alarmingly growing threats to biodiversity globally. When urban places become too hot, like humans, birds also leave, as confirmed by a recent study. The study was conducted in China, by collaborators from Zhejiang University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The findings are published in the Science of the Total Environment journal. The researchers have made some shocking insights about the impact of bird diversity especially in cities due to climate change and associated rising temperature.

Hot environment of city affects bird diversity:

Scientifically, cities trap heat, making an "urban heat island." Meanwhile, this heat island is the main cause of affecting bird. According to the scientist, "the heat island effect can increase the daytime temperature in urban areas by up to eight degrees Celsius. Because of this, a huge difference in temperature can be seen within a short distance."

Not many birds prefer warm environment, so they are moving out of cities in search of cooler surroundings. That's the main reason of declining bird population especially during nonbreeding season.

According to research, "no matter how big the city is or where it is, due to the heat, the diversity of birds remains less."

The study confirmed that, bird population is decreasing in both breeding and nonbreeding seasons in cities globally.

Generally, areas with more concrete structures are accompanied with more temperature than green zones. This is because, any structure made up of concrete has more potential of heat absorption than natural features like tree or water body. According to research, "due to the way the climate is changing, there is a possibility of the cities getting even more hot. Because of this, the challenges for birds living in these urban areas will increase. These birds are already facing threats like increasing pollution and habitat loss."

The scientists believe that birds living in alpine environments on mountains may show increased tolerance to increasing temperatures. This may eventually allow other native birds to servive in the region's urban areas.

Words from the researchers:

"We were surprised to find that the loss of bird diversity was even greater during the non-breeding season," says Jiayu Wu, a scientist with the study and from Zhejiang University. The researcher continued: "The effect may make it easier for birds to stay warm in winter, especially in colder cities. So we expected that the diversity of birds would be higher during this period."

Situation in India:

Now, there are 178 bird species classified as 'high conservation priority' in India. This category indicates that their abundance is declining after a substantial decrease in the number over past couple of years. According to a report: "the sharpest decline in numbers is among species found in so-called open ecosystems or habitats, which typically have no protection."

Even, the abundance of long-distance migratory birds are also decreasing (by 50%), which is a major area of concern.

The only solution lies in more plantation, which will help decreasing air temperature and also provide shelter to birds.