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How Does Climate Change Affect Biodiversity?

Climate change is a consequence of the warming of the planet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this is due to human activity resulting in the production of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. There has been a rise in average air and sea temperatures, and the melting of snow and ice has caused a rise in global average sea level.

Ecosystems and Biodiversity
- Ecosystems consist of the plants, animals and other life that exists within an area. These interact with, and depend upon, each other to a lesser or greater extent for survival. The range of living beings is called the biodiversity. All life within an ecosystem has evolved to be well-suited to the conditions of that area, such as the physical environment, the temperature range and the weather conditions. If the climate in an area changes rapidly, this can affect the biodiversity, causing some life to proliferate, while other things suffer.
Plant Hardiness Zones
- Plant hardiness zones are based on average winter temperatures. Farmers and gardeners use them to predict which plants will survive through the winter. According to the EPA, between 1990 and 2006, plant hardiness zones shifted northwards, due to rising average winter temperatures. Now, some plants will survive in areas where previously the winter cold would have killed them. One effect of this could be that invasive plant species will take over an area. Also, the range of animals that feed on plants may change.
Effects on Birds
- Birds have shifted northwards as global temperatures have risen, reflecting the changes in plant growth and rainfall. Between 1966 and 2005, according to the EPA, the average species moved 35 miles north. Many birds time their life-cycle events, such as egg-laying, according to average temperatures. Migratory birds may be able to adapt to global warming by migrating to suitable climates. Non-migratory or less-adaptable birds could decline.
Leaf and Bloom Dates
- Plants come into leaf and bloom in response to rising temperatures as the year progresses. Scientists have discovered a trend towards earlier average dates for this phenomenon. Lilacs and honeysuckle are coming into leaf and flowering on average a few days earlier than they used to in the 1900's, according to the EPA. A longer growing season could mean more food for animals that feed on plants, or more opportunity for invasive plants and pests to proliferate. The resulting imbalance in any ecosystem would impact the biodiversity in that area.

Nature