Global warming has already had a significant negative effect on the world’s species, and its impacts are likely to only get worse. As temperatures continue to rise, species are facing major changes in the environment they inhabit and some may not survive the drastic adjustments. To have a better understanding of the species affected by global warming, it’s important to look at the impact on specific organisms and ecological niches.
The most immediate impacts of global warming are on polar and mountain species as their habitats rapidly shrink. In the Arctic, polar bears and other species are seeing the ice caps melting away, leaving them without the ability to hunt for food. Mountain animals like the bighorn sheep, which rely on the environment in the higher altitudes for survival, are also seeing their homes shrink. Furthermore, global warming is shifting the ecosystems in which some species thrive, resulting in unintentionally driving out or killing species that cannot adapt.
In addition to icy and mountainous environments, global warming is also affecting species in the ocean. In tropical regions, coral reefs are bleaching due to a combination of rising temperatures and increased ocean acidification. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide levels are making the water more acidic and less hospitable to the coral and the wildlife they support. Because the marine life rely so heavily on coral, the death of these reefs is having a dramatic impact on life in the ocean.
The effects of global warming are also being seen in global agricultural and rainforest systems. As temperatures increase, crop yields are decreasing and desertification is becoming a more serious global concern. In addition, the loss of rainforest species is a direct result of human activities such as deforestation, as well as the global warming-related environment changes. The impact of this loss extends from the individual species to entire ecosystems, as the delicate balance of these environments is disrupted.
The consequences of global warming are severe, and will only continue to get worse if immediate steps are not taken to reduce emissions and mitigate other human activities that contribute to its increase. Beyond this, more effort also needs to be put into researching and identifying species-specific effects of global warming, in order to create targeted, effective protection plans and minimise biodiversity loss. From the individual species to complex ecosystems, global warming has already had a considerable effect, and is likely to continue to do so unless action is taken quickly.
