Effects of Global Climate Change on Wildlife: A Review

Abstract

Global warming, which is also referred to as climate change, is an increase in the world’s temperature, believed to be caused in part by the greenhouse effect. Climate change can have serious consequences on a variety of species and their habitats. Accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the root cause of global warming. Anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, extensive burning of fossil fuel, commercial agriculture, chemical industries and automobiles contribute highly for greenhouse gas emission. Every year, human activities release 28 billion tones of CO₂ and half of which remains in the atmosphere. About 80% of CO₂ emission is from industries and the rest is affected by land-use changes including deforestation. With continued and more severe changes in the climate, the ability of wildlife to adapt through physiological and behavioural changes will be increasingly limited. It is clear that global warming has started negatively affecting a wide variety of wildlife worldwide. Extinctions have started, and much wildlife is being pushed closer to extinction or local extermination as a direct or indirect result of climate change. For the continued existence of wildlife, it is essential to limit greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the threat of global warming.

Key words: Adaptation, Climate change, Global warming, Green house effect, Mitigation, Wildlife