Climate change is causing the decline of biodiversity in numerous ecosystems via extreme weather, sea-level rise, and habitat destruction. Biodiversity matters because without such a variety of life and species, ecosystems begin to collapse ultimately affecting the livelihoods of communities reliant on healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. Biodiversity loss caused by climate change ultimately means species extinctions and a disconnect between animals and plants.
In Polynesia, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that 305 species may be vulnerable to the direct effects of climate change, through restriction of their ranges, increases in temperatures, and the effects of fires and other extreme weather events. Currently island species go extinct at a much higher rate than mainland species, with that number expected to go up as climate change becomes more pronounced.
The severe increase in average temperatures across Australia in 2019-2020 leading to bushfires across the nation. This affected 800 million mammals, birds and reptiles, which reduces the biodiversity. The fires also destroyed mature trees that provide natural shelter for many organisms, reduced the amount of food available and reduced biodiversity by limiting the number of plants that are able to recover from the devastated areas.
Ultimately, efforts to reduce the rate of global warming are our best bet for preserving earth’s biodiversity. From advocating for environmental policies in national and state government (national level), to working with habitat restoration groups (local level), or even reducing your own carbon footprint (individual level) today can have a huge accumulated impact over time.
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