{"id":1040,"date":"2018-01-09T17:31:26","date_gmt":"2018-01-09T16:31:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.creamontblanc.org?p=1040"},"modified":"2018-01-09T17:31:26","modified_gmt":"2018-01-09T16:31:26","slug":"the-future-looks-bleak-for-the-rock-ptarmigan-in-the-alps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.creamontblanc.org?p=1027","title":{"rendered":"The future looks bleak for the rock ptarmigan in the Alps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long considered a symbol of the harsh alpine environment, the rock ptarmigan risks to lose more than 90% of its habitat in the Alps by the year 2090. \u00a0Read on to learn about CREA Mont-Blanc ecologist Brad Carlson\u2019s analysis of the factors contributing to the brutal disappearance of this species.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lagop\u00e8de<\/p>\n

Rock ptarmigan\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a9 Vincent Munier, from\u00a0La Salamandre<\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n

A relic of a time long ago when Europe was covered in glaciers, the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus helveticus<\/em>) is a mountain-dwelling species of bird that depends on the cold for reproduction and development. When the great glaciers of the last ice age began to retreat around 10,000 years ago, the rock ptarmigan found that its favorable habitat (cold areas with consistent snow cover) became limited to small islands of suitable habitat in the Alps and Pyrenees.\u00a0\u00a0 Although this remarkable species has succeeded in moving and adapting to 20,000 years of climatic variations (Lagerholm et al.<\/em> 2017), the unprecedented and ongoing warming in the Alps leaves the rock ptarmigan with a very uncertain future.<\/p>\n

More than 90% of the rock ptarmigan’s habitat is projected to disappear by 2090<\/strong><\/p>\n

In collaboration with the Laboratoire d\u2019Ecologie Alpine (LECA) in Grenoble, we at CREA Mont-Blanc have used the latest climate models to predict the distribution of different species (including the rock ptarmigan) in the Mont-Blanc massif from now through 2090.\u00a0 These species distribution models are based on accepted likely climate scenario predicting a rise in average temperatures between 3 and 5\u00b0 Celsius by 2100.\u00a0\u00a0 The future looks bleak:\u00a0 in the Mont-Blanc massif, the rock ptarmigan will likely lose 60% of its habitat by 2050, and nearly the entirety of its habitat (more than 90%) by 2090.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>These findings are in line with other studies carried out in Europe, which predict a 63-90% loss of rock ptarmigan habitat during the 2070-2100 period. (Revermann et al.<\/em> 2012\u00a0; Virkkala et al.<\/em> 2008)<\/p>\n

\"Mod\u00e9lisation
Mod\u00e9lisation de l\u2019\u00e9volution de l\u2019habitat du lagop\u00e8de alpin jusqu\u2019en 2090 <\/strong>\u00a9 CREA Mont-Blanc \u2013 photo Jacques Blanc, Parc National de la Vanoise<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The causes? Climate change, topography and human disturbance<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are multiple reasons for this brutal habitat loss.\u00a0 In addition to a warming climate and decreases in snow cover, which will reduce the overall surface area of favorable habitat, the extreme topography of the Mont-Blanc massif also plays an important role: steep rock faces and glaciers significantly limit the species\u2019 ability to move up in elevation.\u00a0 Even if the glacier retreat anticipated between now and 2050 may open up some new favorable areas for the rock ptarmigan, these new zones will not be able to make up for the loss of habitat elsewhere in the massif. In addition, because the survival of the species is dependent on vegetation, it is limited by the time it will take for alpine plants to colonize and thrive at higher elevations.\u00a0 Finally, although our species distribution models are not designed to take into account the impact of skiers, climbers and hikers, it is important to keep in mind that human disturbance is especially costly and has already played an important role in the decline of rock ptarmigan populations across the Haute Savoie region.<\/p>\n

Now for the question faced by many a scientist: \u00a0so what<\/em>?\u00a0 First of all, because they are beautiful. As we saw in the recently released documentary film \u00ab Origines\u00a0: La faune\u00a0venue du froid\u00a0\u00bb<\/a> created by Daniel Rodrigues, the rock ptarmigan is a species that, even if we are rarely able to catch a glimpse of it, captivates our imagination because of its remarkable ability to live in such harsh conditions.\u00a0 Another argument that can be made is from a conservation biology perspective: it is an important puzzle piece in the diversity of the Alpine region, the ptarmigan is an emblematic species with a unique genetic heritage and biogeography dating back to the last ice age.\u00a0 Finally, just like retreating glaciers and melting permafrost, the rapid disappearance of species like the rock ptarmigan act as tangible evidence of the impact of climate change on the mountain environments around us.<\/p>\n