Adventure Ausrama Blog

Climate change can cause changes in behavior. As water becomes warmer so some species of fish become aggressive. Some fish are inherently timid while others are bold. In experiments on fish from the Australian Barrier reef, when water was slowly warmed normally timid fish became aggressive. Their rate of activity increased as well. Evolution has created fish that fit into a niche where survival depends on a fish being very careful about its surroundings. If they openly attack larger fish it could mean the smaller ones will be eaten. It is possible that similar changes will occur with reptiles, amphibians, ectotherms and even mammals. If timid animals become bold then they could be killed off by predators or by humans using harvesting equipment trying to catch other animals for food. Only a very small increase in temperature led to the change. In the tests, fish were bred in captivity then released into holding tanks where the water was slowly warmed. They had no chance to socializ...

Climate change is making butterflies more active. They are coming out 10 days earlier than they used to in spring. The change has been caused by a 0.91ºC increase in temperature in Melbourne. All species that interrelate with the Common Brown butterfly ( Heteronymph Merope ) breed earlier as well. A group of academics funded by the Australian Research Council has researched this issue. Members of the group studied caterpillars bred at the old and new temperature in the laboratory and noted the change. Observation of the butterfly in the wild has confirmed that caterpillars are changing into butterflies earlier. If butterflies are coming out sooner then other insects must be doing so as well. This means that crops will have to be planted earlier to be fertilized by insects. Bees are not the only insects needed to grow crops.  People in cities do not understand the importance of pollination on food crops. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysaustrali...

Glow worms can tell the time. Yes it's true! An Australian researcher has found that glow worms "light up" during daylight hours, even though they are in total darkness 24 hours a day. It is only a Tasmanian species of glow worm, however. Mainland species glow day and night. It is not known how they detect that it is daylight outside the cave. It is thought that a chimney effect occurs in a cave, whereby air is "breathed" in and out from outside. This probably causes a change in temperature. Glow worms possibly use the temperature stimulus to choose when to glow and when not to glow. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/ http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/AdventureAustralia http://www.technorati.com/blogs/ http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biology

The Queensland floods would have occurred without human intervention in the world's climate, but the damaging effects would have been much less.  This has been the conclusion reached by scientists.  At no time can it be said for certain that a particular calamity was caused by climate change. Climate has clearly been affected by the way we live, the way our lives have changed since the industrial revolution.  Coal was the first blow struck.  This was followed by development of the oil gusling motor vehicle. Water temperature off the coast of Queensland has never been higher.  This creates rain clouds that drift over the land.  The northern monsoon seems to be moving down the coast.  With this heat has gone cooling temperatures in the east/central Pacific - the dreaded La Nina effect.  The El Nino cycle appears to have slowed down.  Australia was known as a dry country.  Now it is more humid.  The temperature increase of over 1 d...