As climate change affects biodiversity

Climate change It has become one of the main threats to the balance of nature and this means in particular that what is at stake is something as vital as the biodiversity and the maintenance of the ecosystems. In this issue we turn this article from Erenovable.

Climate change is the set of changes that are occurring in the Earth's climate system. Among them we can mention:

the increase in temperature, changes in precipitation, which become more extreme climates, increases in the level of the sea, changes in water resources

This set of imbalances affecting the flora and fauna in multiple ways: individual agencies, entire populations, the geographical distribution of species, to the functioning of ecosystems, etc.

In future, if they continue aggravating these climatic imbalances many species will be in a critical situation. In these situations the survival depends largely on the ability to adapt to new conditions: that is migrating to another Habitat, changing patterns of behaviour or through genetic modification.

But not all the species have this capability or these possibilities. The most vulnerable populations are due to its location (Islands, mountains and Peninsulas) are more difficult to migrate and those that are already weakened and have few individuals.

When this cannot be achieved the consequences will be serious. Reduction of population, decline in biodiversity in many areas and even the extinction of a worrying number of species. Future forecasts reflect this and are certainly alarming: the third part of the natural habitats are at risk of change or even disappear by the end of the 21st century (anticipation of the World Wide Fund for nature - WWF).

As I said many species will be affected by climate change and - therefore - this will have impact in biodiversity.. Here we have some cases already documented:

The golden toad native Costa Rica suspected that it was already extinct, the cause is the lack of ability to adapt to the temperature change that occurs in its Habitat.

Some birds being altered their behaviour, as for example with the Blue charas that they live in Arizona and that they are playing ahead of time.

Many plants in habitats mountain are migrating, i.e., moving to higher latitudes to find a less warm environment, and has been, for example in the Austrian Alps.

The mammals in the Arctic are the decrease of the ice, among them one of the most affected is the polar bear.

Due to the increase in the surface temperature of the seas, coral populations are shedding the algae responsible for give color to the coral. The result is bleaching of corals and the alteration of its production of nutrients.

In many areas of the Antarctic , there are serious reductions in populations of penguins, which in some cases have declined by 33%.

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