Media

OTTAWA, May 19, 2011  —  The University of Ottawa is proud to host a Zoological Education Trust (ZET) event — Biodiversity in the Face of Global Climate Change. The event takes place as part of the 50th annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Zoologists. Two renowned speakers will give presentations on the impact of global climate change and other relevant factors on local fauna, and engage the audience in a discussion of this topic.

Vance Trudeau, professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa and host of the event, states that “climate change and the potential effects on biodiversity, animal and plant health, and thus human health, is one of the biggest challenges society is facing nowadays. The ZET event aims to educate the public with regards to these topics and encourage the audience to engage in a discussion with experts. It is also a good opportunity to talk about what the new federal government can do to address these issues.”

Professor Andrew Blaustein of Oregon State University will talk about the factors, such as global climate change, that are contributing to a decline in amphibian populations. Both direct and indirect effects of climate change threaten the survival, growth, reproduction and dispersal capabilities of amphibians. Moreover, climate change can destroy amphibian habitats and influence food availability, prey-predator relationships, competitive interactions and host-pathogen dynamics.

Frogs are sensitive indicators of declining environmental quality. Over sixty percent of Canadian amphibian species are extirpated, endangered, threatened or considered species of special concern. Frogs are a key species in the food chain because they eat many insects, thus keeping these populations in check and reducing pest insect populations. In turn, tadpoles and adult frogs serve to nourish other types of frogs, in addition to fish, birds, racoons and other animals; therefore, a decline in the frog population means a drop in numbers for those who eat these amphibians.

Professor Brock Fenton of the University of Western Ontario will discuss how the threat to biodiversity posed by invasive species like pathogenic fungi extends to bats. Since March 2006, millions of little brown bats have died from white nose syndrome (WNS) in the north-eastern United States. White nose syndrome was also detected in Canada (Ontario and Quebec) in 2010, resulting in mass die-off predictions for these bats over the subsequent year. Bats also fall victim to green energy projects like wind turbines; however, the loss is not considered great enough to decrease the spread of these industrial structures.

Though bats have often been labelled as carriers of diseases, such as rabies, SARS, Ebola and histoplasmosis, they also help to control and reduce insect-borne diseases. In addition, they benefit humans by spreading seeds and pollinating plants, and are thus a valuable part of our ecosystem.

Habitat loss, often as a result of urban sprawl and conversion to agricultural landscapes, may pose a threat to the future of the biodiversity of bats, amphibians and other animals. Coupled with factors including global climate change, ozone depletion, pollution, introduction of exotic species, pathogens, over-harvesting and pet trade, habitat loss not only causes great harm to species of bats and amphibians, but also ultimately leads to the decline—and in some cases extinction—of certain species.

Watch video of Professor Trudeau’s interview with Allan Rock

To view photos of the event, please visit the uOttawa Flickr page.