| How Global Warming Affects Wildlife
Global warming is the single biggest threat to wildlife today.
Wildlife are affected by changes in temperature
Lisa and Mike Husar/ www.teamhusar.com |
Polar bear: As the ice literally melts out from under their feet, the future for polar bears is becoming increasingly bleak. By 2050, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could be gone, and all of the polar bears in Alaska, due to global warming.
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Gary Schultz/ www.agpix.com/garyschultz |
Moose: Adapted to cold temperatures, moose are being stressed by increased temperatures. In northwestern Minnesota, increased temperatures resulted in a population crash from 4,000 animals in the mid-1980s to 300 in 2003.
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Alan D. Wilson |
Gray Jay: Some species rely on cold temperatures to keep their food from spoiling. The gray jay caches food for its young. As temperatures rise and the food spoils, the gray jay doesn’t have enough food for their nestlings.
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NWF |
Coral Reefs: Rising ocean temperatures have already caused massive coral bleaching, or the death of coral reefs, leading to catastrophic collapse of these ecosystems which sustain huge numbers of fish. |
Photodisc |
Forests: High temperatures and drought lead to the death of millions of pinyon pines in the Southwest. Bark beetles, an invasive insect, thrive in these warmer temperatures and destroy the forests. It has also resulted in four times the number of major fires that were experienced two decades ago.
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Wildlife need clean, cold, fresh water
Michael Durham/ www.durmphoto.com |
Trout and Salmon: In 2007, Yellowstone National Park officials were forced to implement a record number of fishing restrictions to help protect trout stressed by high stream temperatures and drought-associated low water flows. Trout and salmon require cold water to survive.
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Bob Martinka |
Coastal Fish and Birds: Scientists say America’s coasts will be inundated by 7-23 inches of water this century. Coastal fish and wildlife depend on a certain level of salinity in water. They have adapted to a delicate balance between fresh and salt water. If freshwater areas are flooded with too much salt water, the plants and wildlife may not survive.
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Wildlife are affected by scarcity of food
Digital Vision |
Adélie penguins: They do not have enough krill shrimp to eat. As Antarctic sea ice melts, it changes the water quality, making it less conducive to krill survival. |
Garth McElroy/ www.featheredfotos.com |
Migrating birds: Global warming impacts the food of migrating birds. Birds time their migrations to when plants bloom or insects hatch. They can eat as they migrate and find food for their chicks when they arrive. But birds migrate only to find that the insects, plants, or other foods they eat are not available. Caterpillars hatch before the leaves of their food plants are present. Pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees arrive either too early or too late to feed on the flowers on which they normally rely.
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Wildlife can’t find places to raise their young
What you can do to help wildlife
We can do our part to help many wildlife species survive global warming. National Wildlife Federation calls upon Congress to pass effective climate legislation that protects America’s natural resources.
We can also make a difference in our daily choices. Scientists suggest that if we reduce our emissions by 80% in the next 40 years, we can protect people and wildlife. Reducing energy use by 2% per year is an achievable goal.
Support NWF's conservation efforts by symbolically adopting an imperiled animal today.
Return to Global Warming 101
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