Atmospheric change, forests and biodiversity [Changements atmosphériques, forêts et biodiversité].

Résumé

Animal biodiversity is clearly sensitive to climate change too. Perhaps the most notable mammal with high risk to climate change is the extremely rare Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis (Swarth)). Higher tree lines and infilling of subalpine parkland openings could be expected to have devastating negative impact on the animal's already restricted habitat. However our insights into this relatively well-studied animal may be still inadequate, for there is strong evidence that factors other than habitat availability (which is related to climate change) have contributed to the taxon's low numbers (Nagorsen et al. 1996). For example marmots move into openings created by logging forests (D. Spittlehouse, personal communication, September 1996).