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Global Warming Impacts Wildlife: Quick Facts

  • The synergistic, or combined, effects of habitat fragmentation and climate change represent one of the most potentially serious global change problems.-- p.2, Wildlife Responses to Climate Change, eds. Stephen H. Schneider and Terry L. Root

  • Animals most likely to be affected earliest by climate change are those in which populations are fairly small and limited to isolated habitat islands. -- p.21-22, Wildlife Responses to Climate Change, eds. Stephen H. Schneider and Terry L. Root

  • The ranges of butterflies in Europe and North America have been found to shift poleward and upward in elevation as temperatures have increased. -- p.22, Wildlife Responses to Climate Change, eds. Stephen H. Schneider and Terry L. Root

  • Global warming will contribute to a considerable expansion of invasive, nonnative plants and animals, which are able to take advantage of weakened ecosystems and outcompete native species. Higher average temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns will enable some of the most problematic species, including kudzu, garlic mustard, purple loosestrife and Japanese honeysuckle to move into new areas. -- p.7, Gardeners Guide to Global Warming

  • Global warming will contribute to more severe infestations and habitat damage from both native and exotic insect pests, including black vine weevil, gypsy moth, bagworm and mountain pine beetle. Drought-stricken plants are also more susceptible to diseases. -- p.7, Gardeners Guide to Global Warming

  • Many states across the country may lose their official State Trees and State Flowers. Imagine Kansas without the sunflower and Ohio without the Ohio buckeye! -- p.7, Gardeners Guide to Global Warming

  • Butterfly caterpillars may hatch before the leaves of their foodplants are present. Pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees may arrive either too early or too late to feed on the flowers on which they normally rely. And birds may migrate in spring only to find that the insects, plants, or other foods they eat are not available. -- p.7, Gardeners Guide to Global Warming

  • Increasingly fragmented habitats will make it much more difficult, if not impossible, for species to move to find more favorable conditions. -- p.7, Gardeners Guide to Global Warming

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