Thirsty and weakened, wildlife struggle to survive due to lack of water and the degradation or even disappearance of their habitat.
The level of the rivers decreases, the flow of the rivers weakens, the humidity gives way to dryness in the soil. Evidence that the water is gradually disappearing by evaporating into the air, thus increasing the temperatures already high in these scorching times. An alarming situation both for humans, who see their water resources reduced, but also for wildlife, condemned to dehydration. No species is spared by this exceptional drought, July 2022 being the driest month ever recorded in France since 1959, according to The Weather Channel* .
This phenomenon is explained by a rainfall deficit of20% on average» since this winter, preventing the water tables from filling up properly. The Weather Channel also evokes an already very dry spring of 2022, “ranked third in the rank of driest springs».
Habitat disturbance
The modification, or even the disappearance, of the habitat of wild animals is one of the consequences of drought on biodiversity. In the forest, for example, vegetation is essential to the proper functioning of the environment. According to Jonathan Lenoir, a CNRS researcher, trees “play a cooling role“, comparable to a “air conditioning system“. The animals protect themselves from the heat thanks to the leaves, and the insects get hydrated thanks to the water contained in the plants. However, this coolness dissipates under the effect of the extreme heat, forcing the trees to put themselves in “energy saving mode“and to stop”photosynthesisexplains the scientist from the Ecology and Dynamics of Anthropic Systems Laboratory. “It’s as if we had pressed the “off” button of the air conditioning» car «the plants stop sweating, therefore diffusing water into the air, like a mister», analyse Jonathan Lenoir.
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Aquatic environments are also disturbed by the waves of heat waves. According to Eaufrance, “decrease in flow“of watercourses caused by the dryness of the soil, “promotes an increase in water temperature» ; modifying its quality, in particular itsamount of oxygenwhich gradually decreases. This phenomenon also leads to an increasing development of algae, likely to release toxic gas for wildlife. Faced with these significant changes, fish and other aquatic species cannot adapt. All the more so when the rivers are completely or partially dried up, as was the case in the Gorges du Verdon in Provence, or in Loire-Atlantique at Ancenis. The fish then suffer the deadly effects of global warming. Many fish rescues have been carried out all over France. France 3 Hauts-de-France reports an operation carried out in a river in Picardy, the temperature of which had reached 27 degrees. “130 carp were found dead“, Testifies the local media.
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What are the consequences for their health?
When wild animals find themselves in an extreme climatic situation, their organisms generate “stress“, informs Serge Morand, researcher of the CNRS. In this state, living beings puttheir immune functions on standby“, which therefore makes them more vulnerable to the risk of infection, specifies the researcher specializing in infectious diseases. Several reasons are responsible for these animal anxieties.
- Inability to regulate one’s temperature
Not all species are equal when it comes to heat. Some, like mammals or birds, areable to regulate their body temperature” while sweating, indicates Jonathan Lenoir, that “however, requires a lot of energy“. Others do not have this ability, such as amphibians (frogs, toads, newts…), reptiles and insects. Dependent on their environment, these species go in search of freshness under plants or in water. However, because of the drought, they no longer find any place to take refuge.
- Inability to hydrate
Heat-thirsty animals face an unprecedented lack of water. If all species are concerned, birds remain particularly affected according to the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO). contacted by FigaroNicolas Macaire, member of the association, says that beyond the vital need to drink, birds need water to “clean their plumage two to three times a day“, in order to “remove parasites or dirt particles».
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- Feeding difficulties
The vegetation has dried under the scorching rays of the sun, taking with it all the nutrients and species it sheltered, decrypts Serge Morand. For example, to resist the heat, the flowers will retain their nectar, the function of which is to attract bees to forage. His absence will causedeficiencies” in these apids, which have become more “fragile” and less “resistant» for the winter, reports France 3 Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur . Moreover, during a heat wave, the bees will be busy “cool the inside of the hivewhile flapping its wings to ventilate. A spot “extremely tiring which requires them to consume provisionsplanned for the winter, according to the local media.
Aggravating factors
In addition to the consequences of heat waves, there are also those of human infrastructure, which have become deadly threats with the drought. Roads and roofs, which reach extreme temperatures due to the heat, pose a great danger to wildlife. Many died there, such as the “young black swifts” where the “swallows» which fall from their nests, transformed into furnaces because located under the roofs, informs Nicolas Macaire of the LPO. “Several of our volunteers have recovered from it in a state of dehydration» car “when they are on the ground, the parents find it difficult to feed them“. The association has a network of care centers throughout the national territory, with no less than 8,000 active volunteers to help wildlife, particularly in distress this year.
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The multiple fires, mainly located in the south of France, accentuate the deadly effect of the drought. “The fire that was declared in Brittanydestroyed a large number of protected insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals such as the European otter“, regrets Nicolas Macaire. In Gironde, where the fires resumed, many wild animals had been injured, killed or found in respiratory distress. An alarming situation that worries scientists. “The drought, the heat wave and the fires must not be repeated every year, otherwise we will lose a lot of trees.“Warns Jonathan Lenoir. “Some species will die for lack of water and weakening of plants“, laments the researcher. “Last year, the IPCC reportexplained that it was necessary to expect phenomena closer and closer, we are there“, he concludes.
*The Weather Channel is a property of the Figaro group.
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