Consequences Of Climate Change On Fauna
Unfortunately, only recently has man become aware of the serious damage that, due to many of his activities, are compromising the health of the Earth. The consequences of climate change on fauna affect many species in various places on the planet. With often irreparable results.
Animals are the first to suffer from elements such as rising temperatures, which can produce drastic changes in feeding, reproduction and migration. In this article we will see together what are the main consequences of climate change on fauna .
Human action has devastating effects on animals
Within its ecosystem, each animal has a role, plays a crucial and cyclical function. But climate change has severely weakened these balances. The increase in the planet’s temperature has meant that butterflies arrive two months late for flowering, that there are birds trapped in high mountain areas or that salmon are no longer able to lay their eggs.
Due to the high temperatures that loom over the planet, rivers, swamps and waterfalls have dried up and many plants have disappeared. All this has forced many species to change habitats to survive. At first glance, many may think that this is not a serious problem, but what will happen when there are no more areas to take refuge?
It is estimated that if climate change continues with the same intensity demonstrated so far, one in six species could disappear from the planet forever. Not to mention 30% of the plants currently already at risk. Can you imagine what that would mean for the ecosystem? In a few years, there may be no more fauna or flora.
The consequences of climate change on fauna
It has been estimated that about half of amphibians, reptiles and mammals could see their habitat reduced by more than a third, according to WWF. But already now there are many living beings who are suffering a lot due to the rise in temperatures.
Animals such as the snow leopard, the arctic polar bear or the Adélie penguin are in danger of becoming extinct because the conditions of their environment, to which they are accustomed and under which they have evolved, have changed considerably. This involves inadequate climatic alterations for reproduction and hunting, the decrease of prey and the decrease of the territory in which to live.
Another example concerns the Arctic Ocean. The considerable rise in ocean temperature is prompting killer whales to penetrate belugas-populated waters. In a short time, these could be exterminated by what is the most voracious and lethal marine mammal.
Then there are birds that have stopped migrating, mountain goats that are no longer able to feed and even salmon that no longer find the right conditions to lay their eggs.
The solution to the climate problem concerns everyone
What many people do not understand is that animals and plants are the first victims of an environmental holocaust that, sooner or later, will affect us too. Indeed, we are already seeing the consequences firsthand, with unexpected droughts, violent summer rains, problems due to the excessive presence of mosquitoes, parasites and ticks which, of course, take advantage of the rise in temperatures. It is enough to observe the incredible spread of jellyfish in the Mediterranean to understand that the time of great proclamations is over. Action must be taken, and we are already late.
But the consequences will not only be visible from the outside: they will affect every area of our life. Like, for example, food, the air we breathe, the water we drink. The time has come for awareness and action, to be able to stop this disaster that is advancing at an unstoppable speed.
After the disappearance of the first habitats , it will then be the turn of the animals and, subsequently, of the plants. And then? Who will be the next? There is no need to answer. To change things, start by changing your daily life. Don’t buy products that harm the environment, recycle as much as possible and eliminate plastic and hydrocarbons from your life. Only with the collaboration of all can the planet be saved.
