$2.8 million for research into the impact of climate change on tundr...(is the basic fare of all tundra predator...)

Date:10/24/2007

is the basic fare of all tundra predators. We know that snow cover and thermal insulation are very important to the lemming population. There is every reason to believe that longer falls combined with more frequent freezing and thawing could have an adverse affect on lemming population cycles and even put these rodent populations at risk. A significant drop in the number of lemmings could be catastrophic for predators like the Arctic fox and the snowy owl. ArcticWOLVES researchers are particular concerned about the fate of the Arctic fox, whose territory is steadily being encroached upon by the red fox due to global warming. Bigger and more aggressive, the red fox is proving fierce competition for its northern cousin. The latter has already almost entirely disappeared from Scandinavia, and were the same thing to happen in the Canadian tundra, it would be a big blow to biodiversity.

The possible loss of biodiversity will also affect people living in the tundra. Inuit and other communities indigenous to the North depend on these species for survival. The ArticWOLVES research project is therefore also tied to the wellbeing of northern communities.

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Contact: Martin Guay martin.guay@dap.ulaval.ca 418-656-3952 Universit Laval Source:Eurekalert

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