One tenth of animal and plant species might be extinct by 2100
In the next ninety years, up to a ten per cent of animal and plant species will be extinct. Such conclusions have been made by British experts from the University of Exeter who studied the impact of climate change on plants and animals.
The experts examined almost 200 possible variants of climate change impacts that could occur in the future and compared them with 130 reports on changes that had already taken place. The results show that the decreasing number of animals that became extinct due to climate change, either corresponded with the earlier estimates or was even higher than had been expected.
The experts hope that their findings will lead to the acceptance of prompt measures. If nothing is done soon, many species, whose populations are now diminishing, might become extinct.
The study examined a wide scale of animal and plant species from all over the world. Its results prove that climate changes caused by human actions are already a threat to the sustainability of biodiversity. The impact of climate change was reported among all plant and animal groups.
One example of this is the diminishing area of sea ice in the Bering Sea which in the past two years caused the decrease in the occurence of mollusc from an average 12 specimens, to just 3 specimens per square meter. Additionally, these creatures are the key diet for other sea inhabitants.
That is the reason why the experts demand the acceptance of immediate measures which would bring improvements – reducing carbon dioxide emissions and protecting species from other threats such as decrease in biotopes or air pollution.
„The study of the experts from the University of Exeter shows how quickly the climate change is causing the natural wealth to vanish in various parts of the world. We should all do our utmost to change this, otherwise some species will soon be known only from pictures,“ commented Dalibor Dostal, the director of European Wildlife conservation organization.
