UC Berkeley study shows effects of climate change on desert animals
Rennett Stowe/Creative Commons
A study by UC Berkeley found that small mammals may be better adapted than birds to the increasing temperatures of California’s deserts caused by climate change. Rennett Stowe under CC BY-SA 2.0
Small mammals may be better adapted than birds to the increasing temperatures of California’s deserts caused by climate change, according to a study by UC Berkeley researchers published Friday.
The study found that while small desert mammal species have largely maintained their numbers over the past century, the numbers of bird species have dropped as temperatures have risen. The only species of bird whose numbers have increased is the common raven, according to senior author and campus professor Steven Beissinger.
Gary Garth
Special to USA TODAY
Coronavirus has wreaked havoc over the past year, infecting 107 million people and killing 2.3 million worldwide – with 27.1 million of those cases and 468,000 of the deaths coming from the United States. By any measure, things have been disrupted.
How COVID-19 will ultimately affect 2021 is unknown. But a few things are evident. COVID-19 fatigue is real. People are ready to get out and on the move. And for more than 50 million Americans, that likely means a camping trip.
Camping – be it via a tent in the backcountry or a hard-sided camper parked in a full-facility campsite that mirrors many comforts of home – is a relatively pandemic friendly activity.