ENVI 211

June 1, 2013
Assignment #1 1. Proposed Topic: I plan to research the effects of global warming on wildlife, domesticated animals and humans. I will then explore how the effects on these animals are interrelated. 2. Source #1: A. This article talks about the effects of global warming on diseases found in animals. The article says that climate change will have powerful effects on all animals including humans. Wild animals, domesticated animals and humans live close to one another so it is impossible for only one to be effected by climate change without the other. B. Scientific Observations: * Zoonotic diseases are becoming more prevalent due to wildlife living closer together * Geographic shifts of disease vectors have occurred in the Northern Hemisphere * The climate in Europe is becoming warmer * Higher elevations are becoming warmer * Birds have changed their migration patterns due to climate change * Plants are blooming sooner due to global warming * Mass coral bleaching has been happening since the 1980’s C. Scientific Theories: * Global warming has played a role in geographic shifts of desease vectors and parasitic diseases that have complex life cycles * Ticks are probably able to live in larger geographic areas because the climate is warmer * Mosquitos and parasites will spread to higher elevations if those elevations become warmer * The combination of plants blooming earlier and birds changing their migration pattern, may lead to birds becoming undernourished * Since coral can only survive in nutrient-deficient water when algae is present, if the algae dies due to higher water temperature, the coral will also die * Economies who depend on coral could be at risk if coral start dying * Unfit climates for animal’s offspring to grow up may lead to extinction of those animals D. Source Cited (APA):
Hofmeister, Erik, Moede Rogall, Gail, Wesenberg, Kathy, Abbott, Rachel, Work, Thierry, Schuler, Krysten, Sleeman, Jonanthan, and Winton, James, 2010, Climate change and wildlife health: Direct and indirect