Climate is changing rapidly and rising temperatures around the globe are leading to disastrous situations like droughts, floods and hurricanes. Now, researchers have warned that rise in temperatures could affect Arctic. In the region, mosquitoes will appear in greater numbers due to climate change, said the researchers of a new study.

The study conducted by researchers from Dartmouth College suggested that with a rise of two degree Celsius in the temperatures of Arctic, the survival rate for mosquitoes will increase by over 50%. As per a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), temperatures in Arctic are rising rapidly. If the temperatures continue to rise, it will be 2.6-4.8C higher by 2080-2100 than today’s temperatures, the report warned.

According to the researchers, the increased temperature will lead to more mosquitoes in Arctic, but these mosquitoes do not carry dangerous human-diseases like malaria. The study suggested that as the ice is melting rapidly in the region, Arctic mosquitoes get a chance to hatch earlier.

Lauren Culler, researcher from the Dartmouth’s Dickey Center Institute of Arctic Studies and lead author of the study, said results of the study could help understand how other ecosystems on the planet might respond to temperature rise.

According to Culler, even a slight change in temperature can have big impact on a biological system. “We don’t know as much about the Arctic as other ecosystems. But given the Arctic is changing so rapidly, having a baseline data set is going to be really important for anticipating future changes”, Culler said.