Climate change linked to extinction of frogs
From the South African Independent: Climate change linked to extinction of frogs
Global warming has triggered the decline of hundreds of species of frogs and toads by helping a deadly skin infection to spread across the world.
Scientists believe they have found the first clear proof that global warming has caused outbreaks of an infectious disease that is wiping out entire populations of amphibians.
The dramatic decline of the 6 000 species of amphibians was first identified in 1990, and one theory for the loss was the spread of a devastating skin infection caused by a fungus.
A study by an international team of researchers has now linked the spread of a species of chytrid fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis with a rise in tropical temperatures associated with global warming.
Expect to see more and more of this sort of news. As anyone who’s tended a garden knows, when your frogs start dying that’s a huge sign that the ecosystem is stuffed. Pretty depressing really but at least you can offset your own part in all this. - DS
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