Animals Affected By Climate Change | Teen Ink

Animals Affected By Climate Change

April 18, 2024
By Anonymous

Did you know that there are different contributes to Climate Change and humans might be one of them? Different chemicals and other factors are the main causes for environmental change, but what is inciting these changes? Not only are we endangering our future and environment, but we are also killing the wildlife that surrounds mankind. Right now, Animals facing Climate Change are the most significant issue facing our nation because they’re losing their homes and are confused about their mating and moving seasons.

  First, The drastic temperature changes of our planet is a serious problem because it’s destroying animal’s habitats. This concern can plainly be seen from a number of examples. Specifically, the struggles for polar bears in Antarctica. In “Climate Change Poses Great Threat to Antarctica,” Australian Antarctic Program explains that, “Between 1992 and 2017, global warming caused the loss of almost 2700 gallstones (2700 billion tonnes) of ice from the Antarctic ice sheet – including through the collapse of large ice shelves – contributing about 8 mm to mean sea level rise.” (Climate Change Poses Greatest Threat to Antarctica – Australian Antarctic Program (News 2022), 2022b) Here, it is clear that the warming of our climate is quickly changing animal’s homes; leaving them with an inadequate amount of time to adapt. The evidence suggests that certain contributes to climate change will have greater impacts on our planet, homes, and the life that inhabit it if we don’t do something soon to stop it or prevent it from getting worse in the future. For this reason, if we continue with our unethical ways, our climate will continue to heat up and continue to change our environment drastically fast. If we let this happen, destruction of homes and extinction of certain animals will become more and more common; eliminating natural ecosystems. Australian Antarctic Program writes of the issue, “The rate at which the physical environment is changing appears to be faster than the rate at which Antarctic organisms can adapt, placing some iconic species, such as emperor penguins, at risk of extinction,’ .” (Climate Change Poses Greatest Threat to Antarctica – Australian Antarctic Program (News 2022), 2022b) This proves the importance of starting to realize how human impacts and inventions are negatively impacting nature because we are unconsciously destroying habitats, animals, and the planet we all live on.

  Secondly, our fast changing and warming environments are distorting animal’s natural instincts of when to re-populate or migrate. With seasons on Earth changing quicker than normal, animals’ instincts and natural ability on when the right time to mate, migrate, or change is completely disrupted. In “Impacts” the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service states that “Across the United States, climate change is affecting the migration cycles and biology of migratory songbirds, causing a mismatch between when birds arrive on their breeding grounds and when their food is available.” (Impacts | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, n.d.-b) With this quote, it can be proved that certain animals’ natural instincts are getting mixed up and are beginning to perform their natural rituals too late or too early in the year. The consequences of these confusions is that it can endanger an animal’s way of life. For example, if a certain species of bird is naturally supposed to breed in the spring, but ends up breeding in the winter due to the changing climates, it could be dangerous or deadly for the new generation. If the offspring of that certain species aren’t meant to thrive in the winter but only in the spring, the chances of survival are slim. With this conflict, chances of extinction will begin to skyrocket if that species can no longer reproduce or maintain a healthy generation. Moreover, this article shows how these creatures and their natural lives are affected by our changing environment. For example, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noticed that “In aquatic environments, evidence is growing that higher water temperatures from climate change are negatively impacting cold- and cool-water fish populations, like salmon, across the country.”( Impacts | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, n.d.-b) In our aquatic habitats, Climate Change is warming the natural temperatures that animals are not used to. Sea creatures and animals that usually live in cold or cooler water habitats aren’t used to these warm temperatures. This dangerous change can harm them if their bodies or way of life aren’t compatible with these new degrees.

 All in all, animals undergoing habitat loss and getting confused about their insticts are all due to our climate changing. Research proves that climate change is dangerously confusing animals’ natural instincts: causing them to mate and move at wrong times of the year. Not only is mating and migrating at the wrong times a problem, but so is the losing of their home due to human activity. This makes it harder for prey to camouflage and hide from predators and can lead to over-hunting and extinction. Science shows that we have less than a few years to find a solution to this massacre, so it’s up to us to make the decision to save life and our atmosphere.



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