Like Glacier National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica is in danger due to climate change. For many years, scientists thought that the tropical rainforests were no as affected by climate change as places with glaciers, such as Glacier National Park. However, in recent years, clouds have been forming higher and have been drying out much of the habitat. This mountain forest’s thick fog provides nutrients and moisture for the plants and trees. The biodiversity is clearly in a threatened state here, as the climate is changing, thus making it hard for some species to adapt. This has caused plant and animal populations to migrate or die off, being unable to adjust quickly enough to the increasingly rapid changes to the environment. As the oceans have warmed, the clouds at Monteverde are forming at higher altitudes and the amount of mist in the forest is decreasing. Climate change have already taken a toll on this reserve, as the native Golden Toad has been thought to have been extinct since 1990. It is thought to be the first specie to become extinct due to human induced climate change. It is believed a fungus took out the toad, which can then be correlated to an increase in temperature in the forest. The climate is changing and it is leaving some species unable to adapt to the new climate. We now know that rainforests are in danger, thus putting a ticking timer on the time people have to see the great biodiversity of places such as the Monterverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
http://www.rideforclimate.com/journals/?p=80
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