A new study has revealed that how climate change may affect species survival would depend on how climate influences their time-keeping. In the study published in August 2009 issue of journal Biological Reviews, the researchers from UK revealed that both climate and the availability of food are crucial in determining whether animals can reproduce and survive in a given habitat.

However the study also pointed out that the critical constraint on animals, through which these factors have their effect, is time because it limits an animal’s ability to harvest sufficient resources to meet its physiological requirements.

For the study, the researchers produced a systems model of time budgets that includes periods spent in feeding, moving around, resting and engaging in social interactions. The researchers then studied effect of abiotic variables on these activities such as temperature, seasonality and rainfall and biotic variables including the composition of an animal’s diet, its body mass, the quality and distribution of vegetation in the habitat and forest cover. Other factors included the size of any animal community groupings and susceptibility to predators.

The study considered that some species such as primates, elephants, horses, dogs, some cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and birds may have to devote a significant proportion of their time ‘distracted’ by social interaction in order to create bonded groups. These trade-offs limit the time that individuals can devote to foraging for food which, in turn, affects that species’ capacity to survive in a particular habitat.

Foraging is not the only demand on an animal’s time. There is a well understood trade-off between feeding and risk of attack from predators and time is required for activities such as mating and parental investment not to mention territorial defence.

 India speaks   --

The international negotiations on climate change are on and all Parties of UNFCCC are working to reach an agreed outcome at Copenhagen in December 2009. This latest publication encapsulates the major submissions made by India to the UNFCCC during 2008 and 2009. Of particular note are India’s submissions on technology and forestry.

The international negotiations on climate change are taking place in pursuance of the Bali Action Plan adopted in 2007 and all Parties of the UNFCCC are working to reach an agreed outcome at Copenhagen in December 2009. The Bali Action Plan provides shared vision for long term cooperation for adaptation to and mitigation of Climate Change and provision of technology and financing for addressing Climate Change.

As part of these negotiations, India has put forward proactive submissions to the UNFCCC on various issues. Of particular note are India’s submissions on technology and forestry. On technology, India has presented a proposal to establish a mechanism for the development and transfer of technologies needed by developing countries for addressing climate change. On forestry, India has put forth an innovative proposal on forestry-related emissions, in which the emphasis is not only on reducing deforestation, but also on forest conservation, sustainable forestry management and enhancement of forest carbon stock.

In another related document, India claimed that over the 20 years, it has not only managed to reverse deforestation but has also managed to transform its forests into a significant net sink of CO2.  Titled “India’s Forest and Tree Cover — Contribution as a Carbon Sink”, the document was released by Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on the sidelines of the convocation of the probationers of the Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy. The document is being seen as a vital step in the run-up to climate change negotiations in Copenhagen scheduled for December 2009. Forests absorb carbon dioxide and, therefore, countries that have large areas of forest can deduct a certain amount from their emissions, which makes it easier for them to achieve the desired emission levels. 

Emissions on rise

While the world is debating measures to reduce emissions to avoid adverse impact of temperature rise, the global carbon dioxide emissions in 2008 rose 1.94 percent year-on-year to 31.5 billion metric tons. This was revealed recently by German renewable energy industry institute IWR. The CO₂ emissions rose for the tenth year in succession. This was clearly against the objectives set under the Kyoto protocol in 1997 that aimed at cutting CO₂ emissions by 5.2 percent by 2012 over 1990- the off year under Kyoto protocol. Overall, the global emissions are 40 percent above 1990 level. The most of the emissions are through energy production and use. The approach to reduce emissions will involve investments in renewable energy such as wind, solar or biofuels. In 2008, about $170.3 billion were invested in renewables. The institute said that this should at least be quadrupled to total around 500 billion Euros a year for the world to reverse the runaway trend in CO₂ pollution.