Animals Affected By Climate Change

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Climate changes are likely to have serious implications for animals due to changes to the availability of food either from plants or other animals and loss of habitat from the destruction of complete ecosystems.

Animals that have a poor ability to migrate are at risk if climate change requires them to move to new areas with a more suitable climate. Species that have lost large areas of habitat because of land clearing or other uses are at risk because if their habitat is unable to adapt to climate change it is unlikely that habitat will be recreated elsewhere. These species may be very dependent on certain forest types and specific plants, which could also be negatively affected by climate change.

In the Arctic region alone, land animals such as small plant-eaters like ground squirrels, hares, lemmings and voles; large plant-eaters like moose, caribou/reindeer and musk ox; and meat-eaters like weasels, wolverines, wolves, foxes, bears and birds of prey are all facing problems.

In areas where snow was once wide spread, the warming could increase repeated freezing and thawing, which will cause the formation of an ice crust that will prevent animals from eating plants, grasses and mosses. Even lemmings, musk ox and reindeer/caribou are affected.

Milder weather will lead to the collapse of spaces between frozen ground and the snow where lemmings and voles live and forage. Declines in their populations can mean starvation for animals that feed on them, such as snowy owls, skuas, weasels and ermine. The North American Caribou and reindeer of Eurasia are vital to people in the Arctic region, not only for food but also for cultural reasons. Herds depend on the food and good foraging conditions, especially at calving time.

Meanwhile, research in Australia has identified at least 90 animal species at risk from climate change and this figure could be a lot higher, yet it is hoped that at least some of these animals may be able to adapt the changes to their habitats and survive.

Animals like Koalas are at risk because of the effects that increase greenhouse gases have had on the quality of the food they eat. Bilbys and Giant Gippsland earthworm are at risk because when their natural habitat is destroyed it is unlikely, given the climate change that a suitable habitat can be recreated elsewhere.

Worldwide, research has shown animals' behavior, such as when birds migrate south for the winter can be drastically altered due to this changing climate and new studies suggests animals may lose the ability to adapt quickly because climate change can cause unexpected shifts in a species' genetic diversity.

Different species will react differently to climate change and some are capable of adapting to new situations while other species may be lost forever. What we are still unsure of is how many species on endangered lists can be saved by careful rebreeding programs in altered habitats. Sadly, some cannot be saved and others are already on the brink of extinction.

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