Impact of Climate Change: Literature Review on Northern Bettongs

This literature review examines the impact of climate change on the endangered northern bettong (Bettongia tropica), a small rat-kangaroo species. The study utilizes the species distribution model to analyze the correlation between the bettong's environment and its survival. The review highlights how climate change, including erratic weather patterns, droughts, and habitat clearance, has forced the bettongs to shift their habitats in search of more suitable conditions. It explores the effects of changing temperatures, food availability (specifically truffles), and human development on the species' population and overall health. The review emphasizes the importance of understanding the bettong's role in maintaining the forest ecosystem, as they are essential for truffle spore dispersal, and highlights the need for conservation efforts to mitigate climate change and ensure the species' survival, including raising awareness and promoting environmental protection.

Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
With the help of the species distribution model, species are selected and thereafter the
model is applied on them to understand their correlation with the environment and the results of
the observation are applied on them. In this particular case, the norther bethong is selected to
study the impact of climate change on them (Head et al., 2014). The scientific name of northern
bettong is Bettongia tropica which is a very small rat-kangaroo species which is endangered,
thereby posing a threat to the country as well as the globe. In the opinion of Rodriguez and,
Power (2014), these species have a very specific diet where they live on truffles and they mostly
found in the Western edge of the Great Dividing Range. With time, it has been found that these
bettongs are moving towards high density rainfall areas and their shifting is majorly due to
climatic conditions and also due to the clearance of habitat.
Climate change
The studies that have been conducted by scientists have shown that climate change plays
a very important role in the species distribution and animals do not respond well to climate
change. The northern bettongs have also suffered majorly due to climate change and by studying
the impact of climate change on northern bettongs, it has also been revealed that their
movements into different zones have been their survival attempt to save themselves form the
erratic weather conditions (Taylor, 2015). Therefore, the Species Distribution Model has also
revealed that the species are not responding to the gradual weather change and though the model
cannot detect weather events, it is a certain fact that even interim short-term weather changes can
affect an animal movement adversely. These animals are densely found in Queensland and the
weather conditions of Australia at present are uncertain with frequent droughts and heat waves.
Whitehead et al. (2018) opined that studying the pattern of the movements of these animals, it

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has been observed that they have gradually started to move towards areas where the temperature
is likely to suit their habits.
The high ranging temperature also risk the health of these species and a result the general
population of these species have started to be affected (Haouchar et al., 2016). The model has
tried to track the impact of climate change on the marsupial to establish how weather change is
directly related to their movements and how if the species are devoid of their food and habitat,
they will be threatened and also become endangered over the course of time. The summer
weather with high temperature and perspiration was not a weather conducive for their existence
and therefore they started to move to temperature where they felt they could have a longer life.
Food availability and climate change
The studies have pointed towards the ways and methods species are undertaking to move
towards more conducive environment and climate change plays a very important role in that
effect. The studies have pointed towards the shift in the species towards the poles where the
weather is cooler for their sustenance (Woinarski, Burbidge & Harrison, 2015). The focus of the
studies conducted by the scientists have aimed to build string core range where the species will
not have to compete with each other and also not face the climate problems. Therefore, it shall be
the main focus to make sure that there is proper monitoring and assessment of the weather
conditions and how the species are behaving in those situations (Wayne et al., 2016). The
species mostly inhabit the core areas and population plays a major role in deteriorating the
climate conditions and therefore the population control needs to be checked to assure that the
general population in those areas are made aware of the changes in climate due to their lifestyle
(Santos et al., 2015).

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Climate change and threat to species
The studies have also pointed out that there needs to be suitable weather conditions and if
the climate conditions can be assured, the species will remain in their place of inhabitation and
there shall be no movement or displacement of these species. Drought is a climate condition that
is not suitable for the survival of these species and therefore it is imperative for the community to
mitigate the issue and devise plans that will preserve the climate and also help these species
survive in the climate of their endurance (Swim & Bloodhart, 2015). The northern bettong plays
a very important role in the animal cycle and they help in preserving the health of the forest
community. Haddeland et al. (2014) opined that their habitat is dependent on truffles which is a
kind of a fungi and it grows on trees, in their roots. The food chain in maintained by the
consumption of these truffles as these are only consumed by bettongs and therefore, the dispersal
of spores of these fungi are dependent on the bettongs (Whitehead et al., 2018). In this case, the
bettongs are the disperser of the spores and if the spores disappear, the truffles will also
disappear in the future. The entire chain shall be lost as if the truffles disappear, the next in line
tress that are dependent on these truffles will be lost (Batson et al., 2016). Keeping into account
the preservation of the ecosystem and also the food chain, it is essential that the species are saved
from becoming endangered. If one of the elements of the ecosystem are removed, the food chain
will collapse and the entire ecosystem will be lost (Pacifi et al., 2015).
Climate plays a very important role in the survival of the northern bettong and one of the
major causes for their change in habitat can be attributed to human development and degradation
(Hing et al., 2017). To help these species survive, it is imperative for the humans to take charge
of their environment to ensure that they do not get endangered and also survive in the climate of
Australia (Thompson et al., 2015). The safest steps that the human community can take to help

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these species is to spread awareness regarding the threatened existence of these species and also
take conscious steps in saving the environment.

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References
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(2016). Re-introduction of eastern bettong to a critically endangered woodland habitat in
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Haddeland, I., Heinke, J., Biemans, H., Eisner, S., Flörke, M., Hanasaki, N., ... & Stacke, T.
(2014). Global water resources affected by human interventions and climate
change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(9), 3251-3256.
Haouchar, D., Pacioni, C., Haile, J., McDowell, M. C., Baynes, A., Phillips, M. J., ... & Bunce,
M. (2016). Ancient DNA reveals complexity in the evolutionary history and taxonomy of
the endangered Australian brush-tailed bettongs (Bettongia: Marsupialia: Macropodidae:
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Head, L., Adams, M., McGregor, H. V., & Toole, S. (2014). Climate change and
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Hing, S., Jones, K. L., Rafferty, C., Thompson, R. A., Narayan, E. J., & Godfrey, S. S. (2017).
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Pacifici, M., Foden, W. B., Visconti, P., Watson, J. E., Butchart, S. H., Kovacs, K. M., ... &
Corlett, R. T. (2015). Assessing species vulnerability to climate change. Nature Climate
Change, 5(3), 215.

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Rodriguez, D., Cox, H., & Power, B. (2014). A participatory whole farm modelling approach to
understand impacts and increase preparedness to climate change in
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Santos, R. M. B., Fernandes, L. S., Varandas, S. G. P., Pereira, M. G., Sousa, R., Teixeira, A., ...
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Thompson, C. K., Wayne, A. F., Godfrey, S. S., & Thompson, R. A. (2015). Survival, age
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Wayne, A. F., Maxwell, M. A., Ward, C. G., Vellios, C. V., Williams, M. R., & Pollock, K. H.
(2016). The responses of a critically endangered mycophagous marsupial (Bettongia
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Whitehead, T., Vernes, K., Goosem, M., & Abell, S. E. (2018). Invasive predators represent the
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