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https://theconversation.com/intense-heatwaves-directly-threaten-crops-and-native-species-heres-what-we-can-do-275208>
"During Australia’s unprecedented heatwave in late January, air temperatures
reached 50°C in inland South Australia.
Days of sustained heat and hot nights did real damage. A flying fox colony was
all but wiped out in South Australia, while Western Australian mango growers
suffered major crop losses as fruit literally boiled.
These increasingly extreme heatwaves are now posing a real threat to the crops
and livestock on which we rely, as well as Australia’s wildlife and ecosystems.
But in coming decades, intensifying climate change will push summer
temperatures beyond the records set this summer. Even after the world reaches
net zero, unprecedented heatwaves will persist for centuries.
Most living things are strongly affected by heat. Sustained intense heat can
degrade proteins inside plant and animal cells, cause cell membranes to rupture
and disrupt metabolic processes essential to survival. That is, sustained heat
can weaken and kill living things in many ways.
Everything in Australia has to cope with heat. But the continent’s wildlife and
peoples are not prepared for the heat to come, or the changes this will force
on natural ecosystems and food production.
We are not powerless. We could introduce more heat-tolerant plant species and
engineer landscapes to create heat refuges. But we must plan for it."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
