Hares Impacted by Climate Change
by Isabelle Meira
What is Climate Change? & The Science Behind it
Climate Change is mostly caused by the human expansion to the "Greenhouse Effect". The Greenhouse effect occurs when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from the earth towards space, some gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping, making the climate warming. Some of the gases that contribute to the Greenhouse effect are, Water Vapor, Nitrous Oxide, Carbon Deoxide and Methane. (Source http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/ )
The Results of Climate Change.
Global Warming and Climate Change have caused many disturbing things to the enviroment around us, ice caps are melting dystroying the habitat for polar bears and forest fires have incrased due to the hotter weather that has been caused by the greenhouse effect. Earlier snow melt has put Snowshoe Hare's lifes at risk. (Source: http://www.livescience.com/11350-top-10-surprising-results-global-warming.html)
Highlight: Snowshoe Hares
Snowshoe Hares are forest living animals that prefer to live in busy undergrowth. Hare are tipically bigger than rabbits, usually having bigger feet and longer ears. The snowshoe hare live in forest in the northern region and sometimes live in the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Snowshoe hares have big fluffy feet to help them travel through snow, they have a white furry coat in the winter which changes to a brown slowly through out spring. Their population is sadly decreasing due to climate change. (Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/snowshoe-hare/)
What is Happening to Snowshoe Hares?
Snowshoe Hares depend strictly on camouflage to survive and climate change is ruining there safety. In the winter the Hare depends on their white coat to blend in with its surroundings, climate change is causing snow to melt faster then the fur can molt to become brown so they can blend in to the forest floor. People have reported seeing the Snowshoe Hare in the late spring with a fluffy white coat, but because the Hares can not tell they aren't camouflageed they dont run from danger, causing them to be easier to hunt. (Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140717-snowshoe-hares-climate-change-environment-animals-science/)
Snowshoe Hare in Winter
Snowshoe Hare in Spring
Snowshoe Hare in Summer
What Can You Do to Help Climate Change?
There are many ways to help reduce our carbon foot print, somethings you can do at home are to change lights to LED Energy Star light bulbs, change your air filers regularly and by "properly using a programmable thermostat", Also don't forget to reduce, reuse and recycle! You can also do things at school to help slow down climate change, High school students can track your schools climate impact and spread the word to friends and teachers about what is happening to our environment. (Source: https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/)