Birds that have adapted to mountainous areas may be at risk under climate change, but hybrid birds with genes from multiple species may have a better chance of adapting, new research finds.
what happened?
A study led by researchers at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, analyzed three closely related bird species that live in China’s Himalayas, as detailed in an academic report published by Phys.org.
The researchers conducted simulations and found that if the birds mate and produce hybrid offspring, their vulnerability to climate change could be reduced over several generations. This could help them adapt to harsher conditions and future climate change.
According to the study, these birds began to diverge 220,000 years ago and live in different ecological niches in the same area. As a result of these vastly different environments, they have adapted unique survival mechanisms—but they are still under threat.
“Despite these specializations, all three species are projected to face severe climate challenges and may lose 44 to 69 percent of their suitable habitat,” the authors said in sharing the academy’s report.
These birds are mostly geographically isolated, but there are areas of contact that make interbreeding possible.
Despite their ability to adapt to their environment, and the potential for hybrids to carry a variety of beneficial genetic traits, they remain vulnerable to the effects of climate change—although hybrid birds are expected to be less vulnerable than nonhybrid birds.
Why is it relevant?
The planet’s rapid warming is changing people, wildlife and the environment as we know it. The study provides another example of how animals are forced to adapt to changing conditions.
Rising temperatures are causing Arctic and mountain ice to melt, shrinking habitats and depleting wildlife resources.
Animals can change their migration patterns and venture out of their normal areas in search of food and a habitable climate, upsetting the ecological balance in the process.
“Climate change is rapidly driving environmental change, posing an increasing threat to global biodiversity,” the authors said in the study.
What measures are being taken?
In the long term, mountain birds may have to use hybridization to survive the impacts of climate change, which doesn’t bode well, but it’s important for researchers to understand how important ecosystems can be saved.
The study urges better protection of these birds’ migratory corridors and contact zones, which could help facilitate “interspecific exchange of genetic material” to “restore population fitness.”
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