Causes and Consequences of Climate Change on Tigers

Discuss about the Climate Change and the Humanity Threaten.

The aim of the paper is to conduct the research on the impact of climate changes on tigers of different regions. The research reflects that there are numerous species that get affected by the climate change. The change in the climate leads to challenges from warming waters and ocean acidification. Considering the fact by the intergovernmental panel on climate change expects that there is an auxiliary rise of temperature between 1.4°C and 5.8°C by the end of the time (WWF, 2017). The topic that has been selected for this research paper is the influence of climate change on tigers in different regions. The change in the climate pattern brings a shift in the life of animals. Tigers are considered among the most threatened species across the world. The environment of forests gets affected due to change in climate which ultimately affects the tigers of different regions. Along with this, the sea water and other surroundings also affect tigers.

“The impact of the change in the climate of surrounding and forest is creating a major impact on the threatened animal tigers of different regions.”

The research reflects that in the past century, 97% of the world’s tiger population has vanished leaving only about 3,200 individuals left in wild. The decline in the numbers of tigers in different regions is found due to the poaching, deforestation and due to many other reasons. This has been found that one of the world’s largest tiger populations could vanish because of increasing sea levels triggered by a change in the climate (Defenders of Wildlife, 2018). Considering the world wildlife fund presented the report in which they provided the details that only 3,200 people are remaining in the wild. WWF highlighted that Royal Bengal tigers need the urgent action that is required to be taken by the international action to bring the decrease in the greenhouse gas emissions. The climate changes lead to major issues that affect the lives of tigers in different regions. The change in the climate takes place due to some of the major reasons. This reason and their impact are discussed below: –

• Rising sea levels: – The rise in the sea level is shrinking the coastal habitat for the 100 of endangered Bengal tigers in India and Bangladesh. These tigers mainly rely on the area of mangrove forest which is a well known largest forest in the world. In addition, the higher water erodes in Sundarbans leads to the cause of salt water from fresh water. This water erode is polluting the drinking source of tigers (Brammer, 2014). The research shows that the expected increase in the sea level in Sundarbans will probable to outpace the capability of tigers to adjust to the surroundings. The projected rise in the sea level water is of 28cm above 2000 levels that may lead to the decline in the habitat of the Sundarbans tiger by 96% (WWF, 2010). According to the study, the breeding of tigers is pushing to the total population of 20 breeding tigers.
• Deforestation: – The cutting down of trees leads to climate change while pushing species like the unfavourably endangered Sumatran tiger to edge of extinction. The analysis shows that deforestation is one of the major issues which impact the major habitat and could leave to the Sumatran tigers more exposed to illegal wildlife trafficking (Luskin, Albert & Tobler, 2017). Considering the viewpoint of the study conducted, it is found from the report of Blue & Green that deforestation continues to bring the decrease in the habitats of tigers which is clear in Indonesia where a study was conducted in June. In Indonesia, it was found that 840,000 hectares of Indonesia forest had been cleared and it is pushing subsequently Sumatran tigers to edge of extinction (Thorburn & Kull, 2015).
• Changes in temperature: – Shifting of temperature is altering habitat for Siberian tigers in China as well as in Russia. The Korean pine forests offer the less way to fir and spruce 1trees which reflects that they mean less prey for hungry tigers that prefer to hunt in pine forests. Tiger gets impacted due to the changes in temperature as their habitat get shift because of the changes in temperature.
• Natural disasters: – The change in climate brings the prediction for the frequent wildfires in the remote regions where the Siberian tigers are found. There are different types of wildfire season which include longer, hotter and drier and this wildfire works as the threat for the Siberian tigers and their supply for the food. The changes in the climate include intense storms and flooding that ruins crops force the people to travel to tiger territory.

The above given are some of the points that reflect that climate change leads to the threat for the survival of the tigers of different regions. The Tigers face the threat from poaching and habitat loss. This has been found that from last few decades there is a decline of 40% of tigers today occupies less than 7% of their original range. There is a rise in the poaching of tigers because the Tigers prized skins and body parts are used by the Chinese for the traditional Chinese medicine (WWF, 2015).

Poaching and Habitat Loss

The Tigers are beautiful, awe-inspiring tiger on our planet of most iconic animals. At the beginning of the 20^th century, this was found that there is a decline in the numbers of wild tigers by more than 95%. In addition, the research reflects that tigers are used to roam across most of the areas of Asia, but at the current point of time they are controlled to just 7% of their original range which makes time to be available at the isolated forests and grasslands across 13countries. The tigers of the different regions are affected because of the changes in the climate (Singh, 2017).

The analysis reflects that the greatest reason for the extinction of the wildlife is global warming. Intergovernmental Panel on the change due to climate says that an average rise of 1.5°C may put the species extinction of approx. 20-30% (Osborne, 2007). The ecosystem suffers a lot due to which the planet warms by more than 3°C. This rise in the temperature threatened the species because these species are not able to adapt the climate change so quickly. Tigers of different regions are affected because of the illegal wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat and fragmentation due to change in the climate (Paola & Pellegrino, 2014).

Over the next 100 years, the taiga biome is especially a prone to the climate change due to its high latitude. The rise in the carbon dioxide is expected to bring the rise in temperature up to 5.8 degrees which impact the upper layers of permafrost to melt. The rise in temperature directly affects the plants as they don’t survive in hot temperature. In addition, the permafrost is creating runoff and dries out the soil which makes the biome more prone to fires. This is the fact that most of the plants that are in the taiga need time to freeze temperature before they open their buds in the month of spring. The buds will not open due to a rise in temperature which affects the species and they could die.

Due to the fact, the Siberian tigers are mainly depended on its prey to eat these plants. These tigers have to adopt the changes in their prey and habitat which helps them in surviving in the expected climate change. This is the reason that it the development of the freezing cold paws takes place so that the tigers can roam around the forest and its paws chill the ground. The livelihood of the trees with the bud will increase at the time of spring. This rise in the bud will allow the primary consumers to gain the nutrients and tigers to bring nutrients from them along with the secondary consumers (Smith, 2018). If this process won’t work then Siberian tiger would reallocate to a new location that is the forests of Colorado. Over there, the Siberian tiger is used to the high altitude and due to which they are surrounded by tall conifers. The Tigers over there can easily get the cold enough at the times of winter and would have to adapt to warm weather in summer months.

Tigers and Human-Wildlife Conflict

The change in the climate is continuing to warm the plant which makes the Tigers feel the heat. In the coastal reasons like India’s Sundarban islands, it is found that the rise in the ocean level makes the Tigers lose their habitat because of the coastal erosion. The rise in the sea water claims more habitat and seawater increases due to which fresh water becomes more saline and contains salt in high volume (Smith, 2018). These are factors which make the Tigers move northwards towards the areas where they heavily populated by humans. This movement of tigers brings the rise in the conflicts between the animals and humans.

The tiger-human conflict increases because the Tigers are moving from their areas to the populated areas due to changes in climate. In addition, this has been identified that the villagers of Sundarban also pass from the territory of tigers on boats to fish in the sea or to gather the honey from the areas of forest. The villagers of the areas are not expected to enter a number of islands where the Tigers are present but they seldom follow the rules (Reuters, 2011). Though, the villagers of areas seldom follow the rules and get attacked for which they later claim the compensation. This is witnessed by the Pradip Shukla who is senior forest department official. One of the well-known incidents reflect that villager Ashutosh Dhali turn into a local celebrity just after the television cameras caught him after being attacked by tigers in the month of February (Dhar, 2008). The villager said that they were putting efforts to catch the tiger perched on a tree with tranquillizer shots though it ultimately flung on him after failing on a net. This leads to the major conflict between Tigers and villagers in that particular area. 

In the late 1960s years, it was found was 500 tigers were available in the Sundarbans area. Though the number reduces to the 250 and 270 tigers in the wildlife area of Sundarbans and the numbers of tigers are declining. According to the Indian Statistical Institute, the number of tigers has been reduced to 75 tigers only (WWF, 2010). The reason for the decline in the number of tigers is that most of the tigers are wiped out for poaching and habitat loss. The authorities say that tiger was murdered by poachers in Sundarbans for their own benefit. It is found that the area is considered as the world’s largest mangrove research and considered as one of the most unique ecosystems in South Asia which is known with the name of UNESCO World Heritage Site (WWF, 2010).

Conservation of Tigers

The tigers of Sundarbans also find the issues related to the low prey densities which affected the tigers and this is the reason which made their habitat poor. This is found that the low level of prey densities to make Tigers search for the substitute prey in the form of livestock or humans. This alternative search of prey is higher in case of tigers. According to the census report of the Indian government, this is found that about 40,000 tigers across India were available a century ago. In the year, 2008 there was a report that says that the tiger population declined to 1411 which is down from 3642 in 2002 (New Scientist and Reuters, 2008). The decline is found because of large dwindling habitat and poaching of tigers.

WWF aims to support dual the number of wild tigers to approx. 6000 by the time 2022- till next Chinese year of the tiger (WWF, 2018). This has been found in the recent years, that the conservation work and obligation of the different administrations have ceased the weakening in the number of tigers across the globe. This goal was set in year 2010 when the wild tiger population was at an all-time low. In addition, this was the year which is known as the year of the tiger because this year not only WWF but governments took action to save or conserve the efforts to save the wild tigers. This is the reason they form the policies to save this glorious Asian big cat. The outlawed wildlife trade conference took decision in contrast to the illegal tiger trade. The trade conference agreed and decided that they will strengthen the law implementation for the unlawful proactive and the usage of the wildlife products and species (Lacurci, 2014).

It is recommended to the locally, government and the natural resource manager that they should take the immediate actions to protect and expand the mangroves while stopping the retaliatory and poaching killing of tigers. In addition, the global government should take the strict actions for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. Along with this, the regional and neighbouring countries of the areas should try to enhance the sediment delivery and flow of freshwater to the coastal regions as this is essential to assist agriculture and replenishment of land.

Conclusion

In the end, it is concluded that the research reflects major impact of change in climate on tigers of different regions. The researches reflect that climate change brings numerous issues for the wild tigers of different regions. These issues take place due to greenhouse gas emissions, a rise in the sea level, deforestation, impact due to natural resources and the rise in temperature. All these aspects lead to changes in climate which became an issue. These issues affect the wild tigers of different regions. Impact of climate change is so major that it has been observed that there is a decline in the number of tigers alive. Along with this, the research also reflects that poaching of tigers is one of the major issues due to which it is found that there is a decline in the number of tigers across different regions. Considering the current issues and decline in a number of species, the WWF has taken steps in which they are putting efforts to conserve more of the tigers and this contributes in improving the number of tigers. In the research paper, some of the suggestions are discussed which will help in reducing the impact and increase the safety measures for tigers.

References

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