GLOBAL warming is singling out and harming species that are already endangered. A study of woodpeckers in the US has found that isolated, inbred populations adapt poorly to climate change, and other troubled animal populations may face a similar threat.
“It could be an additional nail in the coffin of a species that is already seriously challenged by other stresses,” comments Juha Merilä of the University of Helsinki, an expert on the effects of climate change on birds.
It’s well known that warmer springs in temperate northern latitudes encourage birds to lay their eggs earlier than usual. A couple of years ago Merilä and his team…
