User:Shadowlifts/Endangered species
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Climate change
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) emphasizes that our planet is warming at a rate faster than any time in the past 10,000 years, necessitating species to adapt to new climate patterns, such as variations in rainfall and longer, warmer summers.[1] For example, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service highlighted efforts to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on species through scientific research, modeling, and conservation actions. This includes evaluating the current condition of species, their genetic variation, and how changes in their environment may affect their survival.[2]
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that the approximately 1°C rise in mean global temperature from anthropogenic sources is causing serious impacts on species, including changes in abundance, genetic composition, behavior, and survival. The IUCN stresses the importance of environmental policies aimed at reducing CO2 emissions to lessen the impact of climate change on species. Tools like the IUCN Red List and guidelines for assessing species' vulnerability to climate change are vital for conservation efforts.[3] Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is asserted to be one of the leading cause of animal endangerment. Reducing Carbon dioxide emissions has been found to be key to allowing species to adapt and reduce the risk of extinction [4] Carbon dioxide and other mass emissions have caused the greenhouse effect, where excess gasses and pollutants are trapped in earth's atmosphere, creating a warming effect. This exacerbates the effects of climate change.
In addition, climate change can lead to species decreasing in areas where they once thrived, by being forced to migrate or even going extinct from inhospitable conditions, invasive species, and fragmentation. A study cited by WWF found that one in six species is at risk of extinction due to climate change if no action is taken. The phenomenon of species shifting their ranges in response to changing climates, finding new or shrinking habitats, illustrates the direct impact of global warming on biodiversity.[1] Another major concern is rising ocean acidity caused from excess CO2 in the atmosphere. This creates acidic conditions in the ocean which creates an inhospitable environment for fish, plants, and other keystone species such as coral reefs [5]
For example the Emperor Penguins, which rely on Antarctic sea ice for breeding, shelter, and food. The melting of ice sheets poses a direct threat to their survival. Similarly, the Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan, adapted to alpine mountaintops, faces habitat loss due to climate changes in snowfall patterns and rising temperatures. [6]
Another example is in the case of the Salton Sea in California. This area is a critical habitat for many endangered and watched species, as well as many migratory birds. Due to environmental shifts from climate change and the addition of agriculture in the surrounding plains, the system has become almost irreparably damaged. The warming temperatures has caused mass evaporation, leaving the Sea much more saline and with much more exposed playa. This not only damages air quality but also has caused fish kills to accumulate. This has made the system inhospitable to the birds and endangered species relying upon it [7]
References
- ^ a b "Impact of climate change on species". wwf.panda.org. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Protecting threatened and endangered species in a changing climate | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Species and climate change". www.iucn.org. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Climate Change Endangers Wildlife". US National Park Service. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ Hoegh-Guldberg, O.; Mumby, P. J.; Hooten, A. J.; Steneck, R. S.; Greenfield, P.; Gomez, E.; Harvell, C. D.; Sale, P. F.; Edwards, A. J.; Caldeira, K.; Knowlton, N.; Eakin, C. M.; Iglesias-Prieto, R.; Muthiga, N.; Bradbury, R. H. (2007-12-14). "Coral Reefs Under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification". Science. 318 (5857): 1737–1742. doi:10.1126/science.1152509. ISSN 0036-8075.
- ^ "Preventing Extinctions in a Changing Climate | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Shuford, W. David; Warnock, Nils; Molina, Kathy C.; Sturm, Kenneth K. (2002-04-01). "The Salton Sea as critical habitat to migratory and resident waterbirds". Hydrobiologia. 473 (1): 255–274. doi:10.1023/A:1016566709096. ISSN 1573-5117.