Global warming is a plus for marmots – for now High temperatures are driving a population boom for the squirrel-like creatures, a study finds. Researchers say the animals' fortunes will probably be reversed as their habitat gets hotter
Every year, scientists fan out across Colorado's Upper East River Valley to count the yellow-bellied marmots that make their home there in rocky meadows bordered by aspen, pine and spruce trees.
Over the last decade, the work has gotten more tiring. Now they know why — the population of squirrel-like critters has exploded due to environmental changes brought on by global warming, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature.
It's a rare example of animals benefiting from the higher temperatures, which are making life increasingly difficult for polar bears, harlequin frogs and dozens of other species around the world, the researchers said. But in this case the effect is only temporary, since the forces that are causing marmots to thrive are almost certain to spell their doom.
"It certainly looks like a good-news story for now, but it would surprise me if it continues for the long term," said Andrew McAdam, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, who was not involved in the marmot study.
It's a rare example of animals benefiting from the higher temperatures, which are making life increasingly difficult for polar bears, harlequin frogs and dozens of other species around the world, the researchers said. But in this case the effect is only temporary, since the forces that are causing marmots to thrive are almost certain to spell their doom.
"It certainly looks like a good-news story for now, but it would surprise me if it continues for the long term," said Andrew McAdam, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, who was not involved in the marmot study.
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