Monkeys at the Door of Extinction

Monkeys in South America are exposed to climate changes which upraised the risk of extinction according to a study held by University of Stirling.

An international team of scientists noticed that a huge number of non-human primates’ i.e; monkeys, lemurs, apes etc are confronting significantly increased temperatures and marked habitat changes for over 30 years.

The team, led by Dr. Joana Carvalho of Stirling's Faculty of Natural Sciences, said, “New World monkeys -- which live primarily in tropical South America -- will be particularly affected. Based on our analysis, it is clear that New World monkeys in particular can be considered highly vulnerable to projected temperature increases, consequently facing an elevated risk of extinction."

This study comprised on 426 species of non-human primates including International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List database and forecasted their upcoming challenges according to climate and land changes for 2050. The authors reckoned the best case as gradually reducing emissions, with alleviating measures and the worst case as not checked increase in emissions.

Also, team identified the regions that are desolating for the species where monkeys are facing extremely high temperatures.

They said that “86 percent of Neotropical primate ranges will experience maximum temperature increases of greater than 3°C, while extreme warming -- of more than 4°C -- is likely to affect 41 percent of their ranges, including many areas that presently harbour the highest number of primate species.”

Professor Hjalmar Kuehl, senior author of the study and primatologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany said: "Climate-change mitigation measures have not yet been systematically included into on-site management and strategic development of primate conservation.”

"Given the timescale on which climate change and resulting impact on primate populations will occur, efforts for integrating climate change mitigation measures need to be enhanced urgently in order to be able to develop and implement appropriate actions." He added.

The studies evinced that preempt changes should be managed in how the humans use or modify the primate habitats because it intensifies the problem bringing global warming.

Authors came up to the point that Asian and African primates will take up to 50 percent region of the non-human primates and convert it to something for their own use either agriculture i.e; crop expansion or any other way. Apart from human-disturbed habitat, undisturbed habitat will also disappear by time and become a part of human society.

The authors also recommended that urgent action should b taken against it, to reduce the climate change measures and to save these species from the anomalous extinction, before it’s too late.