Scientists from Tomsk State University (TSU) have found that southern plant and animal species are actively expanding their habitats northward, including into Siberia. They attribute this process to climate change and human activity.
According to the researchers, climate change leads to warmer weather conditions becoming available for plants from other regions and prolongs the growing season, thereby promoting biodiversity in flora and fauna.
Human activity affects the animal world. For example, the distribution of the red-cheeked ground squirrel has greatly decreased due to anthropogenic impact. Conversely, the habitat range of the ground squirrel of the forest-steppe has expanded due to the displacement of other species.
Scientists have also noted changes in the composition of insects, predominantly towards the prevalence of southern species, indicating their high ecological plasticity.
Over the past two decades, the number of decorative perennial herbaceous plants in Siberia has significantly decreased. Scientists attribute this to climate change and the increase in biological diversity.
Researchers have called for control over collection funds and have drawn attention to the risk of invasion by aggressive species in the context of global warming. It is equally important to preserve the stability of ecosystems, and to achieve this, appropriate strategies need to be developed in the coming years, a task that scientists will undertake.
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