Tuesday, 5 March 2019

News in brief - 5th March

Impact of farming and forestry on bird species
The number of bird species going extinct has risen dramatically over the last ten years; this loss of wildlife is being attributed to farming (particularly for soy and palm oil) and forestry practices which destroy the habitats of certain birds, leaving them with no where to live

Extreme weather events on the rise in California
With rising temperatures and shifts in climate patterns, California is experiencing increasingly dry winters which are resulting in more intense summer forest fires; scientists have been monitoring rainfall patterns and are recommending that fire management strategies are developed to limit loss of life and property

Heatwaves in the oceans
High pressure weather systems over Australian waters are having a warming effect on the ocean water beneath; the delicate marine organisms that live there have a very small temperature tolerance range and are not able to survive in increasing warm water, putting the whole marine ecology in that area at risk