For a long time, it was believed that the flora and fauna of the tropical belt suffered the most from global warming. However, a recent study has revealed that species in temperate climates are more vulnerable. It remains unclear whether this is related to a transformation in climate change.
This was reported by Interesting Engineering, citing a publication in Nature Climate.
“In temperate zones, especially at higher latitudes, there is more warming, so perhaps the situation has simply changed in recent decades. As for animals, we did not find that tropical extinctions occurred less frequently than we previously thought. Instead, we found that extinctions in temperate zones outpaced those in the tropics,” emphasized senior study author John Wiens.
According to scientists’ estimates, over the past 25 years, temperatures in the tropical zone have increased by an average of more than 1.8℃, while in temperate latitudes, the increase has exceeded 3.3℃.
Thus, warming in temperate climates is occurring more rapidly. Species living in these locations are at least as sensitive, if not more so, to temperature changes.
Overall, of the 5,100 studied flora and fauna species, 45% have already gone extinct locally. This refers to the disappearance of a species or population from a specific geographic area or habitat.
In many groups, the extinction rate exceeds 50%. These include insects, terrestrial vertebrates, and marine species.
Animals are running out of options
It is commonly believed that when temperatures rise in a given region, animals simply migrate to cooler locations. However, the study revealed that more than 70% of species do not do this.
The reason is often anthropogenic or natural barriers. For instance, some terrestrial species cannot overcome obstacles such as highways or urban development. Aquatic species face another threat-the regulation of water bodies by hydraulic structures, which forces them to remain in their lake or river section. For mountain species, there is an option to move higher; however, even mountains come to an end sooner or later.
EcoPolitic previously reported that since the 1970s, 80% of the freshwater fish population has disappeared worldwide. The main causes are pollution and the regulation of natural watercourses. We have covered separately the species facing extinction in Ukraine here.
