Researchers warn that numerous animal species will become extinct in the next 100 years due to climate change. However, the direct increase in temperature will not be the reason for this, but rather the disruption of the balance of the food chain, in which each animal species has its fixed place. Abigail Cahill and her colleagues at Stony Brook University in New York have examined a total of 136 older studies on the extinction of animals and plants in connection with climate change. They found that only seven studies provided information on the cause of extinction, and none of the reasons was an increase in temperature. On the contrary, recent studies show that many animal species can cope quite well with a slight increase in average temperature. In four of the seven reasons listed, food shortages due to climate change have been proven to be the cause of extinction.
For example, studies on the North American bighorn sheep have shown that they are no longer found in some of their habitats because declining rainfall has dried up their grazing areas. In California, two populations of checkerspot butterflies have also become extinct because they ran out of food due to lack of rainfall. As species become extinct, the animals that fed on them also disappear, disrupting the balance of the food chain. Cahill and her colleagues found similar results in seven other studies that examined the drastic decline of local populations due to climate change, rather than extinction. The researchers conclude that the changing relationship between species is the most common cause of climate-related extinction or decline of local populations.
The research team calls on scientists to support the newly gained results through further studies. Without knowing the cause of the extinction of individual species, it is almost impossible to develop effective species protection strategies. Therefore, countless species could become extinct in the next 100 years without having a direct problem with the increase in temperature. It is essential to address the disruption of the food chain caused by climate change to prevent further loss of animal species.
