The living world reacts very quickly to climate variations. This is evidenced by the many changes already observed. Among others, we can cite the migration of species, the decrease in genetic diversity or the functional alteration of certain ecosystems such as coral reefs or the Amazon rainforest.
Will global warming become the main factor in the loss of biodiversity?
Is a catastrophic decline in living species plausible?
What are the consequences of climate change on living organisms?
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Recent studies show that risks to biodiversity do not appear progressively. Instead, as the climate warms up in a certain area, most species will be able to cope for some time. Until a threshold is crossed when a large proportion of species will suddenly be confronted with conditions they have never experienced before. This is not a gentle slope, but a series of cliffs hitting different areas at different times.
The results show that with uncontrolled warming, more than 15% of biological communities - defined as aggregations of several species - would exceed their critical threshold by 2100. This figure falls to only 2% under warming compatible with the Paris Agreements. However, in both cases, the ecosystems with the greatest biological diversity are highly threatened. Coral reefs come to mind among others.
A recent article in The Guardian also confirms these studies. It states, among other things that:
And on top of that, the UN revealed last week that the world’s governments failed to meet a single target to stem biodiversity losses in the last decade.
The results underline the urgent need to mitigate climate change by immediately and drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This could help save thousands of species from extinction. Keeping warming below 2°C effectively flattens the risk curve for biodiversity, allowing more time for species and ecosystems to adapt. Whether by finding new habitats, changing their behaviour, or with the help of human-led conservation efforts.
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