Could a warming world spell trouble for desert wildlife?
Desert Climate Change Conference looks at local impacts of global warming and practical solutions Yucca Valley, Calif. — Despite thriving in some of Earth’s hottest places, desert wildlife aren’t safe from the impacts of a warming planet, according to researchers who will present at the annual Desert Climate Change Conference this Friday in Yucca Valley. “Southern California experiences a lot of natural variability, which is likely to increase in the future. Droughts, fires and floods that previously have been infrequent disasters are likely to become a more common part of life here. Science has shown the link between our behavior and these events,” says science advisor for the Mojave National Preserve, Dr. Debra Hughson, referring to human-driven climate change and its impacts on the Mojave Desert’s springs and wildlife. “We need to know more about climate change in order to prepare.” Ecologist Dr. Cameron Barrows with the University of California-Riverside’s Center for Conservation B
