GLOBAL warming may thwart attempts to eradicate rats from the sub-Antarctic
island of South Georgia. Glaciers are melting so fast that the rodents will move
to new areas before they can be poisoned, with devastating consequences for
native birds.
Sailing ships brought rats to South Georgia more than 200 years ago. Since
then they have invaded two-thirds of the shoreline, which is covered with
tussock grass. When rats move in, they feed on the chicks and eggs of pipits and
burrowing seabirds, wiping them out.
This is producing profound changes in the landscape. “The burrowing birds
improve soil quality by…
