Effect of Climate Change on Wildlife

Abstract

Climate change is a global catastrophe that disrupts the balance of ecosystem by altering the climatic measures. Human being are not the only living species on earth that is affected by climate change. All the inhabitants on Earth are dependent on suitable living conditions for their survival. All human and non-human species on Earth either directly or indirectly relying on each other. Wildlife is the key indicator of climatic changes in the environment as they are part of various biological and ecological cycles in the atmosphere. Over the century, the atmospheric temperature has increased around 1.1°C. Changes in climatic conditions is affecting the terrestrial and aquatic biomes in plenty of ways. Limiting basic living conditions of animals by destruction of their natural habitation and its transformation into urban lands which intensifies the human-wildlife interactions. Migration of temperature sensitive species to the areas of higher altitude. High temperatures have increased the occurrence of wild-land fires, floods and droughts five times more than past 50 years. Animals naturally respond to altering climatic conditions by exhibiting changes in their general and reproductive behavior, growth patterns, increased zoonotic diseases. All these above cited effect put them to the status of endangered species and ultimately to the extinction. Strategic approaches i.e., protection, management, planning and evaluation of natural biomes to conserve the Earth’s biodiversity must be opted to avoid the extinction of wild species.