Common Questions About Wildlife and Climate Answered & What the Data Shows: Current Trends and Projections

Q: Can't animals just move to cooler areas?

A: Migration faces many barriers: human development blocks corridors, suitable habitat may not exist, and many species (like trees) move too slowly. Island and mountain species have nowhere to go.

Q: Which ecosystems are most vulnerable?

A: Coral reefs, Arctic ecosystems, mountain habitats, and coastal wetlands face the greatest threats. These environments have narrow tolerance ranges and limited adaptation options.

Q: Are any species benefiting from climate change?

A: Some generalist species and pests expand ranges—like bark beetles devastating forests. However, these "winners" often degrade ecosystem health. Jellyfish blooms in warming oceans disrupt marine food webs.

Q: How quickly are changes happening?

A: Shockingly fast. Spring events occur 2.8 days earlier per decade. Species ranges shift 6.1 km per decade poleward. Marine species move 72 km per decade. These rates outpace most species' adaptive capacity.

Q: Is it too late to save ecosystems?

A: While some losses are inevitable, rapid action can prevent the worst outcomes. Every fraction of degree matters. Protecting habitat corridors and reducing other stressors improves species' chances.

Ecological monitoring reveals widespread, accelerating changes:

By the Numbers

- 1 million: Species threatened with extinction - 50%: Decline in wildlife populations since 1970 - 70%: Loss of wetlands in the last century - 30%: Global forest loss since pre-industrial times - 50%: Coral reefs experiencing severe bleaching - 3°C: Temperature rise that would threaten 50% of species with extinction Ecosystem-Specific Impacts: Coral Reefs: - 90% face annual bleaching by 2050 - Great Barrier Reef suffered 50% mortality - Caribbean reefs declined 80% since 1970s Arctic: - Summer sea ice declining 13% per decade - Permafrost contains 1,700 billion tons of carbon - Polar bear populations declining 30% Forests: - Amazon lost 17% of original area - Boreal forests burning 2x historical rates - Temperate forests shifting 100m upslope per decade Freshwater: - 84% decline in freshwater species since 1970 - 90% of wetlands lost in some regions - River flows changing dramatically Future Projections: - 1.5°C warming: 6% of insects, 8% of plants, 4% of vertebrates lose >50% of range - 2°C warming: 18% of insects, 16% of plants, 8% of vertebrates lose >50% of range - 3°C warming: 49% of insects, 44% of plants, 26% of vertebrates lose >50% of range