2 weeks Ago By Iylia Marsya Iskandar
KUALA LUMPUR: Around 1,000 moth species are endemic to the majestic Gunung Kinabalu in Sabah, but in recent years, some have been flying higher than they usually do.This upward flight has little to do with migration — it is due to warmer temperatures.Rising temperatures brought on by climate change are threatening ecosystems, one of the world's most well-known environmental groups has warned.
They include forests, peat swamps, mangroves, wetlands, seagrass beds and coral reefs, says the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia).It told the New Straits Times that the warmer weather was driving terrestrial animals to seek higher, cooler ground — such as the moths on Gunung Kinabalu.Last year, Bernama reported that fireflies were being threatened by global warming and climate change as rising sea levels were affecting mangrove swamps, home to fireflies.
"It is likely that most birds, amphibians and reptiles in Malaysia will move to higher altitudes as temperatures rise due to their sensitivity to temperature changes," said WWF-Malaysia."Larger mammals may be expected to have more tolerance to temperature fluctuations."But while they may be able to tolerate warmer temperatures, larger mammals may still be affected by food and water shortages due to climate change.
"Therefore, they will require protected areas or refugia, along with the ability to move between them through the connectivity of currently fragmented forested regions," it added.Even animals typically associated with hot climates, such as elephants, faced risks from climate change, said WWF-Malaysia.Elephants are equipped to cope with the heat but can experience heat stress when exposed to very high temperatures of up to 45°C.
"Although elephants typically live in warmer climates with average annual temperatures of up to 35°C, and are equipped with mechanisms to cope with warm temperatures, they have been known to experience heat stress when exposed to very high temperatures of up to 45°C."Elephants consume lots of water. As prolonged droughts result in rising temperatures, the stress they experience will be acute during dry periods.
"Worryingly, the situation is expected to worsen, with the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank estimating that temperatures in Malaysia could rise by 3.11°C by 2090.In mitigating these effects, WWF has been engaging with plantation companies to set aside land as ecological corridors and to restore riparian buffers for the movement of elephants and other wildlife.
It said these connectivity areas were crucial for habitat continuity, allowing elephants to access larger forest areas that could serve as climate refugia.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
