climate change

Southern yellow-billed hornbills

Climate change could wipe out southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert by 2027

A University of Cape Town (UCT) study set out to investigate the effect of climate change on the breeding success of southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert found that they could be wiped out by 2027. The study found that the breeding success of the hornbills collapsed over a decade-long monitoring period (2008 –…

African tropical mountain forests

African tropical mountain forests store far more carbon than previously thought – new research

Tropical forests are well known for being the “lungs” of our planet. Through photosynthesis, the trees in these forests produce oxygen and remove enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate global warming. The world’s most famous tropical forests found on lowlands, like those of the Amazon or Borneo, are celebrated for…

Impact of climate change on rainforest elephants

UK and Gabonese experts lead research into impact of climate change on rainforest elephants

Experts from the University of Stirling, working closely with the Government of Gabon, have led an international study into the impact of climate change on Central Africa’s rainforests and the threat posed to elephant populations in the region. Dr Emma Bush and Dr Robin Whytock, of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, along with Professors Kate…

Botswana’s Okavango Delta is created by a delicate balance, but for how much longer?

Botswana’s Okavango Delta is created by a delicate balance, but for how much longer?

The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is a mosaic of water paths, floodplains and arid islands. The delta sits in the Okavango river basin, which spans three African countries: Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Because it’s an oasis, in a semi-arid area, it hosts a rich array of plants and attracts a huge variety of wildlife….