Effects of climate change may be in part responsible for a closing of the time frame for controlling or reducing the numbers of introduced species. In the past, species of iguanas that had been released in Florida had been "notorious" for succumbing to winter cold snaps, falling out of tress and turning up stunned and motionless on city sidewalks. In casual and documented observations, such incidents appear to be less frequent, not only because winters are generally becoming warmer but the species in question appear to be evolving natural defenses against the effects of weather at higher latitudes. More systematic studies of lizard species introduced to Puerto Rico indicate physical and physiological adaptations are underway to allow these species to not just survive, but thrive. Southern California has seen a recent surge in the range of a stink bug species - Pellaea stictica - that had previously only been documented from south of the Mexican border. It may be that a more ...mais ↓
Effects of climate change may be in part responsible for a closing of the time frame for controlling or reducing the numbers of introduced species. In the past, species of iguanas that had been released in Florida had been "notorious" for succumbing to winter cold snaps, falling out of tress and turning up stunned and motionless on city sidewalks. In casual and documented observations, such incidents appear to be less frequent, not only because winters are generally becoming warmer but the species in question appear to be evolving natural defenses against the effects of weather at higher latitudes. More systematic studies of lizard species introduced to Puerto Rico indicate physical and physiological adaptations are underway to allow these species to not just survive, but thrive. Southern California has seen a recent surge in the range of a stink bug species - Pellaea stictica - that had previously only been documented from south of the Mexican border. It may be that a more consistently warmer climate - combined with the cultivation of plant species friendly to this species' survival (Bauhinia orchid trees and Mexican palo verde) - has created a more favorable environment for this bug. The impact of this invasion remains to be seen.
Ref. https://www.popsci.com/environment/lizard-city-genetics/
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Riverside Citizen Science
