Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered that marine species conservation must be done at the level of individual ecosystems, not entire species, because the chances of survival of individual populations differ greatly. The research was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The authors conducted a meta-analysis of 90 publications containing data on 61 species. Using these, the team calculated the maximum temperatures at which these species could survive. The scientists then zoomed in and moved on to analyzing 305 different populations of this species. They found that different populations of the same marine species often have very different temperature limits. This suggests that some populations have evolved different abilities to tolerate high temperatures.
The research means that one of the ways to fight extinction could be to maintain communication between different populations of the same species. This will allow more fit populations to transfer their genes to populations with lower thermal limits.
This approach is not universal, however, because the difference between populations is usually less on land. Here, the authors propose protecting large, cool, shady forest areas that terrestrial species can use as shelters.
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are causing climate change and with it increasing pressure on many plants and animals around the world. Scientists estimate that we are in the midst of a sixth global extinction event, in which species disappear ten thousand times faster than in the industrial age.