[ExI] wildlife app

[BillK]

On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 2:23 AM, spike  wrote:
> If we want to study global climate change as a function of the impact on
> wildlife, I would think insects would be a better indicator than birds or
> mammals.  Reasoning: with the bigger beasts there aren't enough of them, and
> there aren't enough different kinds.  In any given area, there are usually
> only a few mammal species and a perhaps a couple dozen bird species.  One
> can be out all day and never even see a wild mammal.


But they are all watching you!

We live in a housing estate where at least every second house has a
cat, but you don't see more than one or two during the day. I remember
that one night when our cat ran off to see the nightlife I had to go
out with a torch looking for it. Everywhere I pointed the torch a pair
of eyes shone back at me! (I assume they were cats). I eventually
cornered our cat OK.

We also have many urban red foxes around, but you rarely see them
until one runs across the road in front of the car at night. Badgers
as well are nocturnal. Grey squirrels keep out of the way usually.
Some people feed the wild animals so that they come into their garden
and provide a show for the family and get filmed.


> But there are hundreds
> of different kinds of bugs.  Even a small climate change should tilt the
> playing field in favor of one over another competing species.
>

Yes, the march northward of many species is already being recorded.


BillK