Climate change, habitat destruction and disease are threatening Europe's amphibians. By 2050, over half of Europe's amphibian population could be extinct. A large proportion of Europe's amphibians are endemic to the Mediterranean islands, where the climate change forecast is pointing to a much drier and warmer future. On a larger scale, a recent global assessment discovered that 1/3 of the worlds amphibians are at risk for going extinct. While we may not view amphibians as something that important to lose, the fact is that many amphibians play key roles in our ecosystems and are the "lifeblood" of many environments. When one part of hthe ecosystem is destabalized, effects can be seen in all other animals. Also, scientists are still discovering the full potential of using amphibian-derived products for the creation of drugs and medicines. Climate change will have a dramatic impact on these animals, changing their environmental conditions to the point that they will not be survivable. Scientists are sampling the waters in which the amphibians predominantly live, and finding that they are a couple degrees higher than normal. The amphibians of the Mediterranean have nowhere to go but the Pyrenees or the Alps, mountains which would be cold and hostile to them. There has been evidence of toads being affected in other parts of Europe, such as the UK, as well. In order to stop the threat humans must not only reduce their carbon emissions, but also adress habitat destruction and disease.
This article makes me nervous. I think that if we go on causing threats to other animals and plants there will be reprecussions for us that I think we are just beginning to recognize. We have been dominating nature for so long and now we are realizing the effects our selfishness are going to have on us. I think it is interesting how we don't consider amphibians or other animals as important until they start dying off and causing ecosystems to fail.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7635714.stm
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