Global warming reduces the number of reindeer

Reindeer

The symbolic animal of the Christmas holidays, the reindeer, is having a hard time as a result of global warming according to a study presented at the British Ecological Society (BES) annual meeting in Liverpool and published in the journal Global Change Biology. The population is shrinking, and those that are being born stay smaller and smaller.

Could it be in danger of extinction? Maybe. Let's see why.

The reindeer that was born in the Norwegian Arctic in 1994 had a weight of 55kg, but the one that did it in 2010 weighed twelve percent less, that is, 48kg. 12% may seem little, but it must be taken into account that for this animal weight is very important for the reproduction and survival of the speciesAs stated by Steve Albon, the study leader, who added: "Reports have shown that when the average weight of adults is less than 50kg, the population suffers a severe decline."

Surface temperatures in the Arctic are, according to scientists, 2,8 degrees Celsius higher than in 2015, so the reindeer has more and more problems feeding of lichens and mosses since they are no longer within reach of them since they are enclosed under a layer of ice during the winter. An ice that falls on the snowy landscapes that prevents these animals from feeding.

Reindeer

Hunger can cause an abortion, or cause the baby to be born with a much lower weight than normal, so much so that 61.000 reindeer have starved to death on the Yamal Peninsula alone, in Siberia, during the winter of 2013 to 2014 due to heavy rain on snow.

The team has been tracking the Arctic reindeer since 1994, capturing and measuring it from 10 months of age, the route it followed each winter and the one it used to return the following year taking into account its size and weight.

You can read the full study here (In English).


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