Global warming has already begun to take a toll on wildlife and plants around the world. It is predicted that about 25% of plant and animal species are at increased risk of extinction even if we dramatically reduce our global warming emissions.
As weather warms, forests dry up and are more at-risk of insect infestations and fire; snowpack is reduced and runoff happens earlier; rivers, lakes and marine environments heat up; grasslands become drier; coral bleaches and dies; and ecosytems start to make drastic changes to account for the temperature changes.
If we want the world’s wildlife and native plants to survive, we must help them adapt by protecting critical habitat and creating corridors that will allow for migration as temperatures rise.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change tells us if we can reduce carbon emissions 2% a year over the next 40 years, we can curb the worst impacts of global warming. If we can keep the temperature increase small, more species will survive and we will have better options for managing them.
We must work to protect adequate space for wildlife to survive. This includes protecting the most important habitat areas, buffer zones between wildlife habitat and development, and corridors to aid wildlife migration.
Reducing or eliminating habitat fragmentation, over-harvesting, invasive species, disruptive human activities like oil drilling, logging, and general greenhouse gas emissions will help eliminate non-climate stresses.Â
In order to help wildlife and plants survive temperature increases, in some cases it may be necessary to reintroduce native species, assist in migration, control pests or disease outbreaks, apply prescribed burning, and control invasive species.
We must do our best to protect plant and animal species whose survival involuntarily depends on us.
Fri, Jul 4, 2008
Climate & Pollution, Forests & Wilderness, Grasslands & Deserts, Wildlife & Biodiversity