Scientists warn of critical missing piece in humans’ understanding of animals: ‘Not quite sophisticated enough’

A new paper argues that researchers must change how they examine animals adapting to the warming planet. Otherwise, they risk misunderstanding key behavioral information.

What’s happening?

Published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, this paper asserts that most studies look at one piece of the ecological puzzle. But more work needs to be done to fully understand how “species on the move” are changing their behavior.

“The picture that we all have in our heads for species on the move, we’re arguing, is not quite sophisticated enough,” said Alexa Fredston, University of California Santa Cruz marine ecologist and one of the paper’s co-authors.

Why is the holistic study of climate adaptation important?

Animals use various strategies to adapt. But the paper says scientists usually measure one factor, such as shifting birth rates, over a period of time or space. By considering multiple factors within one study, scientists can create a more holistic understanding of an animal’s behavior.

This is crucial because of how much we rely on animals for our food supply. We need to understand how our ecosystems function because if they collapse, so do we.

We need to protect insects because they pollinate our crops. Animals such as beavers are considered keystone species because when they aren’t thriving, the ecosystem falls apart. Holistic study is important because it allows researchers to keep tabs on all these moving parts.

How will scientists incorporate holistic study in their work?

This is already happening within the group of scientists who published this paper. 

A study of birds by Monte Neate-Clegg, a postdoctoral fellow at UC Santa Cruz, examined three adaptation strategies. A few hundred species of birds were adapting in part by shifting their breeding strategies. But the two other strategies — moving northward and to higher elevations — were just as important to the process.

“This more holistic approach tells us their overall ability to track climate change and emphasizes which aspects of climate tracking are potentially easier for different species,” Neate-Clegg said.

While animals are making quick changes to their behavior, scientific research may move at a slower pace. But it’s a change that’s worth making for the sake of humanity and the environment.

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