Guest post by Vijay Jayaraj
When the so-called climate crisis dominates much of the discussion of public policy, the trap of blaming every ecological problem on climate change can easily ensnare those who fail to heed the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Over the past few decades, we have witnessed extraordinary success stories of species being saved from the brink of extinction, stories that contradict the popular media narrative that a climate slightly warmer than the Little Ice Age is killing life forms on our planet .
from the brink of extinction
The iconic polar bear has long been hailed as the unofficial symbol of climate advocacy, and despite media outlets such as NBC claiming the bear is on the “path to extinction,” its numbers are now exponentially increasing in alarming ways.
In some Arctic regions, these northern dominant bears have exploded in numbers during periods of shrinking sea ice cover, a phenomenon that challenges conventional ideas about their habitat requirements.
To the south, India's verdant equatorial regions are witnessing a renaissance of the majestic Bengal tiger. As apex predators and key to ecosystems, rapid growth in tiger numbers often also heralds forest expansion.
Nonetheless, not long ago, the New York Times tried to mislead Western readers about the status of these beasts through a scare article titled “Bengal Tigers May Not Survive Climate Change.”
India has also successfully helped increase the number of great one-horned rhinos from 200 to 2,600!
In the picturesque Iberian Peninsula of Spain and Portugal (where I worked as a wildlife ecologist), the Iberian lynx population has increased dramatically, exploding more than tenfold in the past two decades. This extraordinary recovery has been praised by the scientific community and is unparalleled in the field of cat conservation.
There is also a comeback for the iconic curlew, a bird that was once endangered in the lake systems of Northern Ireland's Lough Erne and the Highlands of Antrim. Conservation experts attribute this phoenix-like resurgence to improvements in strategic habitat.
In the rugged surroundings of Scotland's Afric Highlands, a stone's throw from my former home, rewilding initiatives have spurred a renaissance of birdlife. Populations of the mysterious black grouse and several other species have reached peaks not seen in nearly two decades.
Given these remarkable recoveries, a compelling question arises: How do these species manage to increase their numbers in an era of what is widely considered unprecedented climate adversity?
Successful conservation relies on solid science, not climate myths
Successful conservation requires a deep understanding of a species' specific needs, its ecosystem, and the threats it faces. The scientific basis for conservation biology comes from a variety of fields, including ecology, genetics, wildlife biology, and environmental science.
Researchers use advanced techniques to study a species' population dynamics, habitat needs and genetic characteristics and identify the most critical threats to a species' survival. Possible interventions are then prioritized accordingly.
Such work by conservation biologists suggests that the effects of climate change are not as severe as portrayed.
A 2016 study published in Nature Climate Change analyzed the main drivers of decline for 8,688 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The biggest threat is not overexploitation and agricultural practices, but climate change.
Likewise, a 2018 study found that habitat loss, overexploitation, and invasive species were the main drivers of vertebrate extinction since 1500.
Many species could recover if more immediate threats than gradual climate change were effectively addressed. It has been proven that species can adapt and thrive if given space and proper protection from overhunting and other invasions.
The experience of modern conservation shows that mitigating the real dangers facing animal populations makes more sense than trying to reverse or slow climate change—an impossible venture in any case. Additionally, our relatively warm climate favors the growth of vegetation that sustains the organisms we cherish.
This review was first published on california globe November 22, 2024.
Vijay Jayaraj is a scientific research assistant carbon monoxide2 allianceArlington, Virginia. he He holds a master's degree in environmental science from the University of East Anglia, UK, a postgraduate degree in energy management from Robert Gordon University, and a bachelor's degree in engineering from Anna University, India.
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