For GSS Losing Biodiversity chapter 1 and Climate Change Chapter 8.
Excerpt: ...Across North America — in places as far-flung as Montana and
British Columbia, New Hampshire and Minnesota — moose populations are
in steep decline. And no one is sure why. ...Several factors are clearly
at work. But a common thread in most hypotheses is climate change.
Winters have grown substantially shorter across much of the moose’s
range. In New Hampshire, a longer fall with less snow has greatly
increased the number of winter ticks, a devastating parasite. “You can
get 100,000 ticks on a moose,” said Kristine Rines, a biologist with the
state’s Fish and Game Department. In Minnesota, the leading culprits
are brain worms and liver flukes. Both spend part of their life cycles
in snails, which thrive in moist environments. Another theory is heat
stress. Moose are made for cold weather, and when the temperature rises
above 23 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, as has happened more often in
recent years, they expend extra energy to stay cool. That can lead to
exhaustion and death. ...Unregulated hunting may also play a role in
moose mortality. So may wolves in Minnesota and the West.... http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/science/earth/something-is-killing-off-the-moose.html. Jim Robbins, The New York Times. |
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