大量 の 草食動物 の 多様性 は,北極 の ツンドラ の 多様性 の 減少 を 遅らせ て いる
Eric Post1, Elina Kaarlejärvi2, Marc Macias-Fauria3
1Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 22, 2023
まとめ
北極のツンドラの生物多様性は 温暖化により減少しましたが 大きな草食動物が減速しました 草食動物の多様性を促進することで ツンドラ生態系への気候変動の影響を軽減できます
科学分野:
- エコロジー
- 気候変動の生物学
- 北極科学
背景:
- 地球の生物多様性は 気候変動のような人間の活動によって 減少しています
- 北極のツンドラ生態系は 複数のストレス要因に直面し 植物や真菌やリチンの多様性に 影響を及ぼしています
- 地元の多様性の傾向は不一致で 根本的な生態学的過程を隠しています
研究 の 目的:
- 実験的な温暖化と大型草食動物の排除が15年にわたって 北極のツンドラの多様性に与える影響を調査する.
- 海氷の減少に起因する 背景温度の変化が ツンドラの生物多様性に どう影響するか理解するためです
- ツンドラ生態系に対する気候変動の影響を緩和する 草食動物多様性の役割を評価する.
主な方法:
- 大型草食動物を除外した 温暖化治療を組み合わせた15年間のフィールド実験です
- 実験用プロットにおける植物,菌類,リケンの多様性を監視する.
- 成長期の背景温度と海氷の範囲の分析
- 草食動物 (カリブーとムスコクセン) の変化を評価する.
主要な成果:
- 温暖化や草食動物排除に関係なく,すべての実験処理でツンドラの多様性が著しく減少しました.
- 背景の温度上昇は 海氷の減少と相関しています
- 多様性の減少は,大きな草食動物と比べると遅かった.
- カリブが減少し,ムスコクセンが増加したことで,草食動物コミュニティの構成の変化が,この違いと関連していました.
結論:
- 北極のツンドラの生物多様性は 直接的な実験操作によるか否かにかかわらず 気候温暖化に脆弱です
- 大型草食動物は 温暖化がツンドラの多様性に及ぼす 負の影響を抑制する上で 重要な役割を果たしています
- 北極のツンドラ生態系を 気候変動下で保全するには 野生化や草食動物多様性の促進を含む 保護戦略が不可欠です
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