his post was written by ScIU Undergraduate Intern Hayeon Byun.
Polar bears are one of the most iconic symbols of the impacts of climate change. Their struggle is depicted in campaigns across the world, which show animals that have become endangered as a result of climate change. Yet, polar bears aren’t the only animals impacted by global warming. This post explores other animal species that are also heavily affected by the impacts of climate change and aims to raise awareness of the struggles the wildlife around us experience.
1. Emperor penguins
You may know emperor penguins best from the movie Happy Feet, where baby emperor penguins are in danger from predators like skua birds and leopard seals. However, climate change may pose an even greater danger to emperor penguin chicks than predators.
In 2022, up to 10,000 emperor penguin chicks were estimated to have been killed when the sea ice beneath penguin colonies broke months before the chicks fully grew into their waterproof coats. Antarctica was once a region that seemed resistant to global warming, but recent data shows it has become unstable, with sea ice levels well below previous records. If global warming continues at its current pace and sea ice continues to melt, more than 90% of emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica risk becoming extinct by the year 2100.
2. Arctic fox
Polar bears and penguins aren’t the only animals living in the polar regions affected by climate change. The Arctic fox is another animal species affected by the warming temperatures and its consequences.
One main consequence of warming temperatures in the Arctic is the milder winters that are causing a decline in the rodent population, a staple food source for the Arctic fox. For example, lemmings, the main prey of the Arctic fox, live and breed under the snow cover during the winter. Milder winters mean more rain than snow, which causes snow cover to be icy and hard, which makes it difficult for lemmings to find food and shelter. Lemmings not being able to hide may sound like a good thing for foxes as it means an easy hunt for food, but it’s not so good in the long run. If lemmings cannot survive to reproduce, it will lead to a decline in the lemming population which will cause a food shortage for Arctic foxes.
Another consequence is that Arctic foxes become more visible to both predators and prey as climate change induces a camouflage mismatch when there is no snow to match their white coats. This is a problem for many white-camouflaged animals.
3. Bumblebees
Bumblebees are small, fluffy insects that are a major player in global food security. According to a study in 2016, 75% of food crops and almost 90% of wildflowers worldwide depend on pollinators like bumblebees for sustained production, yield, and quality.
However, a recent study suggests that as many as 75% of the 250+ bumblebee species risk being wiped out in 40 years as their current habitats become too warm and too extreme for them to survive due to climate change. Warming temperatures are literally a buzzzzzz-kill for the bumblebees.
Insect populations are generally decreasing due to climate change, which is not a good sign for our ecosystem. It is not a simple matter of, “Oh, maybe that will mean fewer mosquito bites in the summer!” but is instead directly related to the very baseline of our biodiversity. Insects are a central component of many of our ecosystems. They pollinate wildlife, provide food sources for animals, decompose organic matter, and even help control harmful pests. By endangering insect populations, global warming endangers all of the species above them in the food chain and ecosystem, including humans.
4. Koalas
Can you imagine Australia with no Koalas? Well, with global warming causing more wildfires, we have to start getting seriously worried about these cute marsupials.The Australian government officially listed Koalas as endangered after the drastic decline in their numbers due to the catastrophic ‘black summer’ bushfires in 2019-20. More than 61,000 koalas were likely to have died, which is dangerous for a species already classified as vulnerable due to its dwindling habitat.
Around 40% of koala habitats are highly susceptible to bushfires, and researchers warn that the percentage will only increase. Bushfires are extremely dangerous for koalas as they don’t flee from fire. They also risk starvation and dehydration as eucalyptus leaves (their only food source) dry and burn. Koalas and other Australian wildlife are in danger yet again in the coming months as a dry and hot El Ninõ summer looms ahead.
The destruction of wildlife caused by wildfires is not just happening in Australia. There have been recent wildfires across the globe, from Canada to Maui and from Chile to Greece. Climate change is intensifying heat waves and creating hotter and drier weather conditions that put wildlife at risk through direct mortality, habitat destruction, loss of food sources, or even long-term health effects of smoke inhalation.
Humans are not exempt from these risks caused by wildfires. Research shows that there is an increase in premature deaths and respiratory morbidity, even an increased risk of cancer (of all types), all attributable to wildfire smoke. And we haven’t even touched the direct damage of wildfires on property destruction and economic burden. What is happening to these koalas is basically happening to us humans but all across the globe.
5. Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean. They are full of life, sheltering over 1 million aquatic species; around 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on coral reefs. Many marine life, from dolphins to clownfish (think of the movie Finding Nemo!), call coral reefs home. Fish and other marine life find shelter and food, reproduce, and even nurse their young in these reefs. Coral reefs also protect seagrass beds and mangrove forests, which are major carbon sinks (they absorb carbon from the ocean) and provide protection and food for marine life.
It is not just Nemo and his friends that depend on these reefs. More than 500 million people depend on these reefs for food, income, and protection. Coral reefs protect humans living in coastal areas by reducing wave energy by up to 97% and cushioning the shore from the impacts of hurricanes, floods, and even coastal erosion. They also provide food for people living near the reefs, support 6 million fishers in nearly 100 countries, and provide tourism opportunities for local economies.
However, most of our world’s coastal reefs are at risk of dying out due to coral bleaching, a result of warmer water temperatures causing corals to get too stressed out and expel the algae inside them. This makes them vulnerable to coral diseases that also increase in prevalence with rising temperatures.
Protecting coral reefs is important as it will not only benefit the marine biodiversity that lives within them but also the human population that depends on the reefs for food, jobs, and protection.
6. Domestic animals
We’ve been talking about a lot of wildlife around the world that are affected extensively by the impacts of climate change. Still, there is a sense of psychological distance to these animal populations as we don’t normally interact with them in our daily lives. However, it is not just the wildlife that is affected by climate change; domesticated animals like cows and chickens are also affected.
It is well-known that livestock production is a source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute heavily towards the intensification of the impacts of climate change. However, livestock animals are also directly feeling the effects of climate change. Researchers expect the number of extreme heat stress days for livestock animals to increase across the world.
Chickens in particular offer one example of how extreme heat will be dangerous for livestock. Chickens cannot regulate body heat efficiently due to a lack of sweat glands and find it difficult to breathe in the heat. This tends to kill them–for example, a heat wave in Uruguay last year in mid-January killed at least 400,000 chickens.
Livestock animals are vulnerable in resource-poor areas that can’t provide adequate food, water, and resources to deal with the heat, putting the human population in these areas that rely on livestock for food at risk as well. Livestock products are an important food source globally, and the demand for them is only increasing, especially in developing countries. Increasing heat stress is stressing out not just livestock but also global food security and farmers who depend on livestock as a source of income.
7. Conclusion
These animals mentioned above are just ambassadors for their respective ecosystems. Many more animal populations are vulnerable and endangered due to the impacts of climate change. Climate change is impacting habitats around the world, from the Arctic to rainforests, from the deep deep sea to mountain tops. In turn, they are also affecting human populations as well. We cannot dismiss human activities’ enormous impact on climate change and work collectively to help mitigate the harm wrought towards these animal populations, and even ourselves.
You might think to yourself, “What can I possibly do to make a difference and help these animal populations from the impacts of climate change when I am just one human being?” To start, there are many online resources like Global Climate Change, The Daily Climate, and the Society of Environmental Journalists to learn more about climate change. “Breaking Boundaries” by David Attenborough is also an excellent documentary to learn more about the biodiversity crisis. You can also volunteer with local organizations to restore native natural habitats or support accredited zoos and aquariums with wildlife conservation programs. You can even research wildlife conservation policies and spread awareness to your family and friends. These wildlife animals have no voice of their own to speak up for themselves, but you do!
Edited by Brianna Best and Jonah Wirt
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