Global warming, scientists say, is responsible not only for shrinking ice caps but also for a surge in extreme weather that is causing heat waves, wildfires, shrinking rivers, and droughts, not to mention sea level rise.
Researchers agree that even small changes in temperature are enough to threaten hundreds of already struggling animals. Up to half of the animal and plant species in the world’s most naturally rich areas, such as the Amazon and Galapagos, could face extinction by the turn of the century due to climate change, according to a study published in the journal Climate Change. From polar bears in the Arctic to marine turtles off the coast of Africa, our planet’s biodiversity is at risk from the changing climate: 21 species became extinct in 2023 alone. Earth’s wildlife populations have fallen on average by a “catastrophic” rate of 73%in the past half-century, according to a new analysis the World Wildlife Fund released in October 2024. If we continue at this rate, scientists predict that climate change will cause the extinction of more than a third of animal and plant species by 2050. 40% of insect species are at risk of extinction, as well, including the dung beetle, an insect which actually can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The key impact of global warming on wildlife is habitat disruption, in which ecosystems—places where animals have spent millions of years adapting—rapidly transform in response to climate change, reducing their ability to adjust. Habitat disruptions (mainly deforestation) are often due to changes in temperature and water availability, which affect the native vegetation and the animals that feed on it. Loss of wetlands, sea level rise, invasive species and disease are all also implicated. Climate change is driving a worldwide redistribution of wildlife, as animals are forced to migrate due to changing temperatures.
04/14/26
Shorter winters and warmer springs can disrupt the environmental cues that birds rely on to begin their spring migrations and affect the distances they travel to find suitable breeding grounds.
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Wetlands are critical to the health and safety of our communities.
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Building the Grid Birds Need
10/13/22
The Living Planet Report 2022 is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. This flagship WWF publication reveals an average decline of 69% in species populations since 1970.…
09/01/21
The Sumatran rhino, the smallest, shaggiest, and most endangered of the world’s five rhinoceros species, is found only on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
08/31/21
Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) has been developed over centuries or millennia by indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and is continuously evolving. It provides a unique and rich source of information on biodiversity. There…
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