JERUSALEM, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Israeli and U.S. researchers found that the combined effects of deforestation and climate change pose a significant threat to wildlife, particularly cold-blooded species, Tel Aviv University (TAU) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, their study revealed that global warming drives lizards and other climbing animals to seek refuge in trees where it's cooler and windier.
However, deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural expansion are reducing the availability of trees, placing these animals at risk.
The research focused on lizards, creatures highly reliant on their surroundings to regulate body temperature.
Using a computer simulation, the team analyzed how lizards would distribute themselves between sun, shade, and trees over 20 years under both historical and projected climate conditions.
While climate change generally favors lizard population growth by increasing their activity, the results showed that deforestation counteracts these benefits.
It was found that deforestation can reverse the positive effects for 66 percent of simulated populations and further accelerate population declines for another 18 percent.
The researchers emphasized the critical importance of tree preservation, especially given the changing climate, and provided practical guidance for policymakers, such as recommending specific tree heights and densities. ■
