Can wildlife adapt to climate change? - Erin Eastwood

TED-Ed

3 Mar 201604:47

Summary

TLDRThe video script addresses the urgent need for adaptation to climate change, highlighting how humans and nature must evolve. While humans utilize technology for solutions like smart cities and water management, plants and animals are undergoing evolutionary changes to survive. Examples include tawny owls changing color for camouflage and pitcher plant mosquitoes adapting to warmer temperatures. Scientists are identifying species with heritable genetic adaptations and are working to protect biodiversity by establishing climate refuges and aiding species migration, emphasizing our role in preserving Earth's ecosystems.

Takeaways

⏏️ Climate change is causing significant shifts in global weather patterns, leading to rising temperatures, sea levels, and droughts.
🌳 Humans are adapting to climate change through technological advancements, such as developing smarter cities and improving water management systems.
🐦 For plants and animals, adaptation often involves evolutionary changes that can occur more rapidly under strong selective pressures like climate change.
🔬 Evolutionary adaptation usually happens over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, but can be accelerated in response to rapid environmental changes.
🌿 Many species are relocating and changing physical traits like body size and breeding dates as a form of adaptation, but these are often non-heritable changes.
🦉 The tawny owl in northern Europe has evolved a genetic shift from a pale gray to a brown plumage due to reduced snowfall, providing a camouflage advantage.
🦟 Pitcher plant mosquitoes have evolved to enter dormancy later in the year as a response to warmer temperatures.
🐞 Two-spot ladybug populations have shifted to non-melanic coloration to avoid overheating in warmer climates.
🐟 Pink salmon have adapted to warmer waters by spawning earlier to protect their eggs.
🌱 Wild thyme plants in Europe are producing more repellent oils to deter herbivores that proliferate in warmer conditions.
🔍 Scientists are identifying and studying about 20 species that have shown evolutionary adaptations to rapid climate change, with the hope of discovering more.
🌏 While evolution can help some species adapt, many others will rely on human intervention, such as creating climate refuges and protecting mobile species' migration paths.
🌱 Efforts are underway globally to help ecosystems adapt, including establishing climate refuges and conducting climate change assessments in protected areas.

Q & A

What is the significance of adapting to climate change for both humans and other species?
-Adapting to climate change is crucial for humans and other species to survive in a changing environment. For humans, it involves using technological advancements to create smarter cities and better water management systems. For plants and animals, adaptation may involve evolutionary changes to cope with rapid environmental shifts.
How does evolutionary adaptation typically occur in nature?
-Evolutionary adaptation usually happens over long time scales, ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. However, under strong selective pressures like rapid climate change, these adaptations can occur more quickly.
What are some examples of nonheritable changes that organisms might undergo in response to environmental changes?
-Nonheritable changes include plastic changes to an individual's physical traits, such as body size adjustments or shifts in the timing of flowering or breeding. These changes are not passed down to offspring and are limited in their ability to help organisms meet long-term environmental challenges.
Why are scientists interested in finding heritable evolutionary changes in species' DNA?
-Scientists are interested in heritable evolutionary changes because these genetic adaptations can be passed down through generations, potentially providing species with a long-lasting advantage in coping with environmental changes like climate change.
How have tawny owls adapted to the changing climate in northern Europe?
-Tawny owls in northern Europe have adapted to the changing climate by evolving from a pale gray color, which was advantageous for camouflage in snowy conditions, to a brown color. This genetic change has allowed them to blend in better with the reduced snow cover and exposed forest environments.
What genetic changes have been observed in pitcher plant mosquitoes due to climate change?
-Pitcher plant mosquitoes have rapidly evolved to take advantage of warmer temperatures by entering dormancy later in the year, allowing them to adapt to the changing climate.
How have two spot ladybug populations changed in response to climate change?
-Two spot ladybug populations have shifted almost entirely to the non-melanic color combination, which scientists believe helps them avoid overheating in warmer climates.
What adaptation have pink salmon made to protect their eggs in warmer waters?
-Pink salmon have adapted to warmer waters by spawning earlier in the season, which helps protect their sensitive eggs from the negative effects of increased temperatures.
How are wild thyme plants in Europe responding to climate change?
-Wild thyme plants in Europe are producing more repellent oils to protect themselves against herbivores that become more common in warmer climates.
What steps are being taken to help species that cannot adapt to climate change through evolution?
-To assist species that cannot evolve quickly enough, humans are identifying critical climate refuges, setting aside protected areas, and facilitating the movement of mobile species to more suitable climates. Additionally, existing parks and protected areas are undergoing climate change assessments to help their wildlife adapt.
Why is it important for humans to preserve biodiversity in the face of climate change?
-Preserving biodiversity is important because it sustains ecosystems and human life in many ways. It also ensures the continued existence of species that may not be able to adapt quickly enough to climate change, thus maintaining the balance and health of our planet.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Evolutionary Adaptations to Climate Change

This paragraph discusses the urgent need for adaptation to climate change, highlighting the difference in adaptation strategies between humans and other species. While humans rely on technological advancements, plants and animals may undergo evolutionary changes. The paragraph explains that evolutionary adaptation typically occurs over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, but can be accelerated under strong selective pressures like rapid climate change. It provides examples of such changes, including the tawny owl's shift from a pale gray to a brown coloration due to reduced snowfall, and other species like pitcher plant mosquitoes, two-spot ladybugs, pink salmon, and wild thyme plants that have also shown genetic adaptations to warmer climates. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the importance of human intervention to protect biodiversity, which is crucial for the planet's ecosystems and human survival.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Climate Change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. In the video, climate change is a central theme as it drives the need for adaptation in both human societies and natural ecosystems. Examples include rising temperatures, reduced snowfall, and the necessity for species to evolve to survive in these changing conditions.

💡Adaptive Evolution

Adaptive evolution is the process by which species undergo genetic changes that allow them to better survive and reproduce in their environment over time. The video discusses how some species are undergoing rapid adaptive evolution in response to climate change, such as the tawny owl changing from a pale gray to a brown color variant to better camouflage in forests with less snow.

💡Plastic Changes

Plastic changes are non-heritable changes in an organism's physical traits that occur in response to environmental conditions. The video mentions that while many organisms are exhibiting plastic changes, such as altering body size or breeding dates, these are not passed down to offspring and thus do not represent evolutionary adaptation.

💡Genetic Dominance

Genetic dominance is a principle in genetics where certain alleles or traits are more likely to be expressed in offspring because they are dominant over other recessive traits. The video uses the example of the tawny owl, where the brown color variant is genetically dominant but was historically less common due to the selective advantage of the pale gray variant in snowy conditions.

💡Natural Selection

Natural selection is the process by which organisms with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the gradual evolution of species. The video discusses how natural selection is currently favoring brown tawny owls in forests with less snow, as the previously advantageous gray color is now less effective for camouflage.

💡Pitcher Plant Mosquitoes

Pitcher plant mosquitoes are a species mentioned in the video that have rapidly evolved to take advantage of warmer temperatures by entering dormancy later in the year. This adaptation allows them to exploit the changing climate to their benefit, illustrating how some species are evolving in response to climate change.

💡Two Spot Ladybug

The two spot ladybug is highlighted in the video as an example of a species that has shifted almost entirely to the non-melanic color combination. Scientists believe this change helps the ladybugs avoid overheating in warmer climates, demonstrating an evolutionary adaptation to climate change.

💡Pink Salmon

Pink salmon are mentioned as an example of a species that has adapted to warmer waters by spawning earlier in the season. This change is crucial for protecting their eggs, which are sensitive to temperature changes, and illustrates how some aquatic species are evolving to cope with climate change.

💡Wild Thyme

Wild thyme plants in Europe are producing more repellent oils as an evolutionary adaptation to protect themselves against herbivores that become more common in warmer climates. This adaptation is a response to the changing environment and is an example of how plants can evolve to deal with new pressures.

💡Climate Refuges

Climate refuges are areas identified as suitable for species to migrate to in response to climate change. The video discusses the importance of identifying and preserving these areas to help species adapt and survive. This concept is crucial for conservation efforts aimed at preserving biodiversity in the face of a changing climate.

Highlights

Adapting to climate change is crucial for both humans and wildlife.

Humans can use technology to create smarter cities and better water management systems.

Plants and animals may adapt through evolution, which usually occurs over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years.

Rapid climate change can accelerate evolutionary adaptation in some species.

Many species are relocating and changing physical traits like body size and breeding dates.

Plastic or nonheritable changes in physiology are limited in helping organisms adapt.

Scientists are looking for heritable evolutionary changes in species' DNA.

Tawny owls in northern Europe have evolved from pale gray to brown due to less snowfall.

The brown color variant of tawny owls is now flourishing due to better camouflage in exposed forests.

Pitcher plant mosquitoes have evolved to enter dormancy later due to warmer temperatures.

Two spot ladybug populations have shifted to non-melanic color to avoid overheating.

Pink salmon have adapted to warmer waters by spawning earlier.

Wild thyme plants in Europe are producing more repellent oils to protect against herbivores.

About 20 species have been identified with evolutionary adaptations to rapid climate change.

Scientists aim to discover more species evolving in response to climate change among millions on the planet.

Many species will rely on human intervention for survival in a changing world.

Human actions like creating climate refuges and protecting mobile species are crucial for biodiversity.

Existing parks are undergoing climate change assessments to help wildlife adapt.

It is within human power to preserve the planet's biodiversity, which sustains us in many ways.