Evrim Yazgin
Cosmos science journalist
Drying climates spell danger for amphibian species already on the decline.
New research shows that global warming of 2°C would result in 6.6% of habitats crucial for frogs and toads dry up. A temperature rise of 4°C could see 33% of frog habitats become arid.
The new paper, published in Nature Climate Change, focuses on the impact of drying climates on animals.
“Compared with the risks associated with climate warming and extremes, the risks of climate-induced drying to animal species remain understudied,” the authors write. “This is particularly true for water-sensitive groups, such as anurans (frogs and toads), whose long-term survival must be considered in the context of both environmental changes and species sensitivity.”
Previous research showed that climate change has already resulted in 39% of amphibian species being placed on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, and many have seen their status on the list deteriorate further, between 2004 and 2022.
Amphibians require that their thin skin is moist. Gases will only pass through the amphibian’s skin if it is wet – effectively acting like a lung.
“Because amphibians are particularly dependent on water, there is a critical need to understand how both temperature and extreme moisture-deficit events such as drought impact these species, given their sensitivity to water loss and their threatened status relative to other taxonomic groups,” the authors of the new study say.
The researchers found that, under a high-emissions scenario where temperatures rise 2–4°C by the years 2080–2100, 36.1% of areas where frogs and toads live will be at increased risk of drought.
This includes areas mainly in the Americas, southern Africa, Europe and southern Australia.
