Climate change could spell the end for several Atlantic Forest species

Global warming and climate change could lead to the extinction of up to 10 percent of toad and frog species endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, a savannah-like biome that spans almost one-quarter of the country. According to a study published in the Ecology and Evolution magazine, changes in rainfall patterns over the next few decades will be fatal for species that don’t adapt well to climate variations.

“The research’s main goal was to survey all anuran [frog and toad] species in those biomes and assess their adaptability to climate change, based on their climate preferences and the trends in rainfall for the period of 2050-2070,” says lead researcher Tiago da Silveira Vasconcelos, of São Paulo State University. The study was carried out with the support of the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp) and had the support of Bruno Tayar Marinho do Nascimento (also of São Paulo State...