Impact of climate change on rynchops flavirostris

Author

Tsonziwa, Modesta T.

Title

Impact of climate change on rynchops flavirostris

Abstract

Birds play a pivotal role in the ecosystem through pollination, pest control and improving biodiversity. However, several avian species have been on the decline as a result of climate change which affects habitat quality due to shifts in temperature and rainfall. This study looked at where these birds might live in the future, considering how climate change could affect their habitat. Distribution data was obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and it was cleaned removing duplicate data using excel. These points were then modelled using R and RStudio v 12.1-402. Results showed that Rynchops flavirostris is most sensitive to high precipitation. The probability of occurrence in response to bioclimatic variables showed that the African Skimmer availability is mostly influenced by precipitation of warmest quarter (Bio18) and temperature seasonality (Bio 04) accounting for 50% and 8% influences respectively. The habitat suitability under RCP 8.5 expands in the central and eastern Africa due to predicted continuation of future greenhouse gases emission from climate change compared to the predicted current suitability. Therefore, the researcher recommends including other factors like land use and vegetation cover in future research to get a more complete picture. Additionally, similar studies on other bird species facing climate change threats are important.

Date

June 2024

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Rynchops flavirostris,

Bird species,

Climate change,

Habitat

Supervisor

Prof L. Jimu