It will be tough this year for Santa. Climate change also threatens reindeer. In fact, according to a recent study, these animals are reducing their weight
It will be tough this year for Babbo Christmas. I changes climate they also threaten chute. In fact, according to a recent study these animals are reducing theirs weight.
The research, presented during a meeting at the British Ecological Society (BES) of Liverpool, found that over the past 16 years, the weight of adult reindeer from Svalbard in Norway has decreased by 12 percent, possibly due to global warming.
Reindeer born in 2010 have now reached adulthood and weigh around 48 kg, 7 kg less than those born in 1994 who weighed 55 kg during the same phase of their life.
"12% may not seem like a lot but it really is, since body weight is important for reproduction and survival" he said study manager Steve Albon of the James Hutton Institute in Scotland.
Previous research had shown that when the average weight of adults in April is less than 50 kg, the population as a whole decreases.
Read also: REINDEERS: DISAPPEAR IN CHINA DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
But why is climate change to blame? According to Albon and his colleagues, Earth's surface temperatures in the Arctic were about 2,8 degrees Celsius higher than they were a century ago.
Read also: NORWAY: MORE THAN 300 REINDEER KILLED BY LIGHTNING
And the consequences are obvious: warmer winters also mean more rain falling on the snow but also the formation of thick layers of ice. This prevents the reindeer from reaching the lichens, the main source of sustenance in their winter diet.
Read also: 80 THOUSAND REINDEER DEAD OF HUNGER IN SIBERIA: THEY CANNOT FIND LICHENS ANYMORE (PHOTO)
"Reindeer starve, miscarriages are frequent or give birth to much smaller kittens," the researchers explain.
Unaware of Vittime deHuman impact on planet Earth.
Francesca Mancuso
