Climate of Our Future

ScienceDaily (Mar. 28, 2009) — The Iberian Peninsula is one of the richest regions of Europe in terms of animal biodiversity. In this context, Spanish researchers have shown that the variation in terrestrial vertebrate diversity in Spain is influenced above all by climate. In addition to habitat diversity, the study concludes that, when all other factors are taken into consideration, this wealth is higher in the north (Pyrenees) and the south (Straits of Gibraltar), and is relatively less in the centre of the peninsula

“Climate, human population density, the variety of animal habitat and spatial structure are some of the factors contributing to the distribution and wealth of Spanish amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, according to their taxonomic category.” Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) started out from this premise in order to research the reasons behind the variations in the wealth of vertebrate species in Spain, where there are, on average, 98 species per 100 km2.

Although the scientists thought that habitat variation was the main determining factor of biodiversity, their study, published in Ecological Research, shows that other factors impact on the variety of animal species.

The wealth of terrestrial vertebrates in Spain is primarily determined by climate. “Precipitation favours the high variety of bird and mammal species, while temperature does the same for amphibians and reptiles,” Gregorio Moreno-Rueda, lead author of the study and a researcher at the UGR’s Department of Animal Biology, tells SINC.  Keep Reading