Restricting competitors could help threatened species cope with climate change

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Restricting competitors could help threatened species cope with climate change Threatened animal species could cope better with the effects of climate change if competition from other animals for the same habitats is restricted, according to new research by Durham University. The Durham team studied the impacts of climate on the Alpine Chamois, a species of mountain goat, and the effects that domestic sheep had on the goats' movements. Observing the goats in the Italian Alps during the summer, the researchers found that Chamois tended to move to higher altitudes where it is cooler on hotter days and in the middle of the day, but moved much higher - about 100m higher - when sheep were present. They say their research, published in the journal Global Change Biology, provides a valuable insight into how managing the interaction of different species could influence changes in animal distributions predicted under climate change.