To understand the effects of climate change, naturalists study variations in the behavior of certain animal and plant species – frogs, lizards, beech trees, etc. – in three French regions. These sentinels in spite of themselves will provide valuable information on the adaptation (or not) of living things to phenomena which are shaking up their universe.
Climate change affects all living things, human and non-human. If animal and plant species settle in a territory, it is because they find climatic conditions there, among other things, which correspond to their optimal living conditions. When these conditions change, we can envisage impacts on the wild flora and fauna around us.
In partnership with the French Biodiversity Office (OFB), three regions, New Aquitaine, Occitanie and Normandy, have chosen to study certain species to understand the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
The targeted species are for example the Pyrenees frog, the Bonnal lizard, the Alpine marmot or the butterflies of dry lawns. On the plant side, beech forests and dune vegetation are also the subject of protocols developed by naturalists to ensure long-term monitoring.
At the same time, weather stations are installed at each monitoring site, and temperature and humidity data from the sites are recorded every hour; they will be integrated into the statistical modeling.
These data will make it possible to answer certain questions, because there are real risks of seeing an animal species disappear if the flow of waterways is permanently modified, if rising temperatures lead animals to settle at higher altitudes, if modifications are possible with, for example, the appearance of new, more Mediterranean species, etc. How can we be sure that a group of animals or plants will be able to adapt to new living conditions?
These programs are also important for a better understanding of the local effects of climate change on biodiversity. They will help guide environmental policies and management of natural areas. Another interest: they constitute a complementary method of disseminating scientific information to the public.
