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NMSU study predicts wildfires will speed decline of threatened bird

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Researchers at New Mexico State University predict that the dusky grouse will lose almost all of its habitat by the end of the 21st century due to climate change. The dusky grouse is recognized as “climate threatened” as climate change continues to devastate forests and fuel more extreme wildfires.


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Wildfires like the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Fire took part in the dusky grouse’s loss of land, forcing them to find new places to live. But despite challenges in southern areas, the dusky grouse in northern regions of New Mexico and Arizona have robust populations and may provide refuge against moderate climate changes in the future.