By now, many people have heard of the plight of the polar bear, and how as Arctic ice melts due to global warming, polar bears are losing the place it calls home and the habitat they need for survival. What most of us may not know is that we do not have to look as far as the Arctic to see how global warming is adversely affecting species. In fact, many of us don’t have to look further than our own backyards to see how global warming is drastically changing and jeopardizing the lives and futures of numerous endangered species.
A warming world threatens wildlife across the country
While global warming threatens all types of species, the potential impacts to endangered species already on the brink of extinction is especially dire. Stated quite simply, threatened and endangered species have less ability to bounce back when hit by new threats from global warming - any new adverse effects could be enough to push them over the edge.
Sea Turtles
One particularly disturbing example of the effect global warming is having on endangered species is the plight of the sea turtle. Found on both coasts of the United States as well as along the Gulf of Mexico, all six species of sea turtles are listed as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, including three species which are listed as critical. With the sex of unborn turtles being determined by temperature, a rise of just one degree Celsius would lead to more females being born than males. With less males available for breeding , entire populations of sea turtles could be extinct within a few generations if we do not act now to curb global warming.
Adelie Penguins
The contracting winter sea-ice around the Antarctic Peninsula due to the earth's warming trend is responsible for the dramatic decrease in Adelie Penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula. The last 25 years show a decline of 33% due to the changes in their sea-ice habitat, while Adelie Penguin populations have plummeted 40% since 1989. The decline in these populations stems from the decline in the penguin’s primary food source, Antarctic krill. Less sea-ice results in less algae, which is the primary food source for krill. Both adult and immature penguins have difficulty surviving. Several breeding colonies in the area have disappeared altogether!
Grizzlies
Global warming is also worsening the plight of Yellowstone’s grizzly bears. With the Fish and Wildlife Service seeking to delist the grizzly bear from the endangered species list, management and protection plans are already in peril. Now, global warming is aiding in killing off one of the grizzly’s main sources of food: seeds from the whitebark pine. In response to rising temperatures scientists have observed the pine beetle expanding its range across the Rockies and targeting whitebark pine for food. Now whitebark pines are dying off at an alarming rate. This loss of entire forests of whitebark pines is particularly detrimental to the grizzly that depends upon the tree for its winter diet.
New England Sugar Maples
If you were to pick one thing to symbolize New England, it might have to be the sugar maple. This tree is so iconic in that region that a good deal of tourism revolves around leaf peeping in the fall, maple syrup festivals and visits to area sugarbushes. However, this important species might be at risk due to climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that winter temperatures in the Northeast have increased by 2.8 degrees. This shift in the temperature is impacting New England’s syrup production, which needs cold nights and warm days for sap to run. Researchers at the University of Vermont predict that sugar maples may disappear altogether as the climate zone they have evolved for moves north into Canada.
The examples are endless, and the truth is evident: Global warming is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. A recently released report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that 20-30% of animal and plant species could be at an increased risk of extinction with up to 60% species loss in some areas if global warming continues unabated. The report goes on to tell of other serious effects global warming could have, such as fishery collapses, widespread coral mortality, and extensive loss of biodiversity.
It is not just the plants and animals that would be adversely affected by climate change. Entire industries that have been built around these species, such as fishing and tourism, could be very hard hit if global warming continues unchecked. If we don’t act now to counter the global warming trend and take steps to protect imperiled species, countless species and invaluable parts of our ecosystems could be lost forever.
The Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act (S. 2204), introduced by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), which is landmark legislation addressing the threat of climate change to wildlife, oceans, and imperiled species. To learn more about this important bill and how it can protect imperiled species from global warmining, please click here.
References:
Print this page
Email this page
