Research news: Climate change puts future of plants, critters in hot seat

The News:
Climate change puts future of plants, critters in hot seat
Temperatures are rising too quickly for some to adapt, and extinctions are likely, experts say.
By Michael Casey The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 12/06/2007 01:05:34 AM MST
BALI, Indonesia — More than 3,000 flying foxes dropped dead, falling from trees in Australia. Giant squid migrated north to commercial fishing grounds off California, gobbling anchovy and hake. Butterflies have gone extinct in the Alps.
While humans debate at U.N. climate change talks in Bali, global warming is already wreaking havoc with nature. Most plants and animals are affected, and the change is occurring too quickly for them to evolve.
"A hell of a lot of species are in big trouble," said Stephen E. Williams, the director of the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change at James Cook University in Australia.
"I don't think there is any doubt we will see a lot of (extinctions)," he said. "But even before a species goes extinct, there are a lot of impacts. Most of the species here in the wet tropics would be reduced to 15 percent of their current habitat."

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.