Scientists have created an online directory of endangered species.
Climate change is dangerous for many species of animals. For example, recent studies have shown that by the end of the 21st century, the emperor penguin population could decline by a third. The authors of the new work came to the conclusion that by 2070 a third of the parasitic species of the Earth will be endangered.
Despite the harm that parasites can cause to host organisms, this news is not worth rejoicing. The extinction of parasites can irreparably change the structure of ecosystems: disrupt existing food chains and lead to the uncontrolled growth of other animal species. One of the authors of the work, zoologist Anna J. Phillips, comments: “The presence of parasites is a good indicator of ecosystem stability. This means that the system has a wide variety of species, and such conditions exist long enough for complex connections between organisms to appear”.
Scientists examined the US National Parasite Collection, a collection of samples of several hundred parasitic species. The researchers also used several existing databases that collect information on various types of ticks and fleas. The work included data on the geography of the prevalence of 457 species of parasites. Scientists have created several models demonstrating the impact of different climatic changes on each species.
Samples Used, Adrian Van Allen
The researchers concluded that global warming is more dangerous for parasites than for host organisms. According to the most optimistic model, taking into account relatively weak climate changes, about 10% of parasites will have disappeared by the end of the 21st century. The most catastrophic forecast suggests that a third of today's parasites will disappear from the face of the earth by 2070.
Based on the results of the work, scientists have created an online directory in which you can check the estimated threat level for most types of parasites.
The research is published in Science Advances.
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