Butterfly Lessons

Butterfly Lessons by Elizabeth Kolber discusses the issues with global warming and how it effects organisms and their habitats. It is obvious that their habitats are getting smaller as more parking lots are created, trees are cut down, and factories are built. However, these organisms habitats are also being forced to change as areas get warmer. Birds in Costa Rica that normally stay in the lowlands, are beginning to nest in the foothills and butterflies in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California are being found at elevations 300 feet higher than 100 years ago. Climate change does happen naturally, but recently CO2 levels have risen, causing the change to speed up perhaps. Another part of climates change that must be remembered is not only temperature, but also moisture changes. This is another aspect that the organisms must adjust to. Over time some of them have enough time to change genetically; nevertheless, other are not so lucky. The golden toads of Coast Rica for example endured one warm and dry spring and the ponds that the tadpoles rely on to mature in dried up. A golden toad has not been seen since that spring. We need to remember that humans are just another organism and if we continue to take our habitat for granted then the damage will be irreversible.

Happy Habitating!
Madison Broadway