User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
My project deals with the effect temperature has on bird activity. This type of research is important to the field of ecology because with the threat of global warming, the effect this has on bird species will be extremely important to understand. As average temperatures across the globe increase, bird habitat including breeding grounds, food and resource availability will be affected. Some birds such as woodpeckers are keystone species and therefore threats to their environment could wreak havoc on other dependent species including some birds such as wrens and sparrows who use the holes created by woodpeckers as nesting habitat. If temperature does not have an effect on bird activity, such as foraging, it may suggest that certain species of birds are better able to adapt to changes in climate. By understanding the effect that increases in global temperature have on some species of birds, ecologists and other scientists will be better equipped to predict the snowball effect that climate change will bring universally.
