Question

In a northern population of sparrows, you determined that 80% of individuals migrate each fall to warmer locations, while 20% remain residents year- round and overwinter on the breeding grounds. Climate scientists predict that at this location, winters will become milder over the next 50 years. Explain how this shift might affect the proportion of adults that migrate in the future.

Answer 1

This shift largely affects the proportion of adults that migrate in the future. The reason corresponds to global warming which influences the annual migration rhythm. This results in changing their routes, shirten or even cancelling the journey due to temperature changes. The competition for breeding places is increased by the warm weather. Finding enough food for her and the offsprings also becomes another rising problem in those places. Increasing temperature changes the forest gradually into tundra that greatly affects the food quality of the sparrows. All in turn may push towards extinction.