Wednesday, February 20, 2008

the saltmarsh sharp tailed sparrow


is in danger. will we continue to ignore global warming? will we allow waste to continue to pollute our land and air?



Global warming could threaten dependency on local coastal habitat
By Judy Benson Health\/Science\/Environment ReporterE-mail: j.benson@theday.com
Though perhaps not as dramatic as polar bears drowning in rising Arctic seas and melting ice, the perils of a little sparrow that depends on the salt marshes of southeastern Connecticut for nesting could be a local indicator of the effects of global warming.
In the Connecticut State of the Birds 2008 report released last week by the Connecticut Audubon Society, the saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow is named among six threatened species that depend on specific types of habitat in Connecticut for their survival.
“This could be the first Connecticut species to go extinct if sea levels continue to rise as they are,” said Milan Bull, senior director of science and conservation at the Audubon Society. “With global warming and sea-level rise increasing, our coastal salt marshes are at great risk, very great risk.”
The saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow, a migratory species that spends May through November in the marshes of southeastern Connecticut, is “arguably the bird for which conservation actions in Connecticut are most important in terms of ensuring long-term survival,” the report states........


picture: The loss of habitat is a threat to the existence of the saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow, according to a report released by the Connecticut Audubon Society.

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