Changes in the climate have had a widespread effect on animal and plant species as well as a considerable influence on habitats. Across different geological periods, climatic change has been witnessed in the form of extreme weather events. The vulnerable animal and plant species stand to lose most in climate change. Despite having climatic changes having a direct impact on biodiversity mainly in the future, recent studies are showing that the planet’s endangered species are currently being harmed by changes in climate.
One considerable effect of climatic change on vulnerable species is the slow breeding patterns. Animal and plant species that are mainly in the high altitudes have increasing difficulty in adapting to temperature changes thus affecting reproduction patterns with eventual species extinction. Additionally, increasing global temperatures are leading to the melting of polar ice affecting habitats that have been home for animal and plant species for a long time. Increasing carbon dioxide is influencing temperature increases and most significantly being absorbed by the oceans increasing their acidity thus affecting marine life. Forest fires and droughts are destroying forest habitats resulting in species extinction.
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The effect of the climatic change is directly affecting food webs. Increasing acidity in the oceans is acting to downplay the growth of phytoplankton directly affecting the primary consumers. Decreasing populations of primary consumers have a bottom-up chain effect on secondary and tertiary consumers. Additionally, forest fires and droughts do not only lead to habitat loss but also decrease available food for animal and plant species. Decreasing ice in the poles is decreasing the population of predators that depend on ice thus making the prey thrive in an environment without secondary consumers leading to a top-down effect on food webs.
