Climate as a Driver of Biodiversity Change on Land
摘要
Climate change poses a severe threat to global biodiversity as it has a huge impact on all levels of biological diversity from the genetic system to the whole ecosystem. The multiple aspects of climate change including increasing temperature, change in rainfall patterns, and emission in increase in emission of greenhouse gases have a great influence on all the pillars of biodiversity. According to the data given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007); the global average temperature has surged by 0.2 °C per decade since the 1970s and global average precipitation has increased by 2% over the past century. Climate change alters the vegetation communities, which can affect the integrity of whole biomes. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment projected that 5–20% of the terrestrial ecosystems on the earth may experience shifts due to these changes. The effects of climate change are projected to increase with the increase in the magnitude of climate change. Changing climatic conditions increases the potential for pests and pathogens to establish and spread and certain species that show slow reproduction or low genetic diversity are not capable enough to stay aligned with climatic change. Changes have been observed in the composition of microbial, animal, and plant communities reflecting their responses to increasing temperature. A projected change in extreme weather events has a great impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. Montane habitats and wetlands are very sensitive to climate change. Life cycle events of various floral and formal species have been altered due to changes in the onset of seasons, which make them more prone to extinction. Climate change poses an immense complication for conservation biologists in designing and executing efficient conservation strategies. The expected decline in biodiversity due to climatic shifts undermines the provision of services and the functioning of the ecosystem, potentially leading to planetary environmental upheaval. Suitable and imperative measures are required to be considered across diverse scenarios of climate disruption effects on a wide range of flora and fauna species. Primarily, an extensive multi-sectoral strategy on biodiversity issues, embracing expensive policies, stringent tactics, and programs at local, national, and international levels is crucial to address the challenges posed by the impact of climate alterations on biodiversity.