As human-induced climate change continues, the risks faced by biodiversity will increase over time. Forecasts indicate that global biodiversity is likely to fall off a cliff.
Scientists from South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom used the average annual climate prediction data from 1850 to 2100 to determine the average experience of more than 30,000 birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and other marine animals and plants The warmest temperatures and the time they are exposed to potentially dangerous weather conditions.
Scientists predict that as multiple species are exposed to unprecedented temperatures, these ecological combinations may simultaneously experience sudden destruction of biodiversity. Because various organisms are facing higher temperatures than ever before, research predicts sudden large-scale deaths. As species reach their temperature thresholds, they may actually disappear, and many species are expected to disappear at the same time, which researchers call "sudden exposure events."
Under high-emission scenarios, tropical oceans, tropical rainforests and high-latitude regions are expected to reach this unprecedented temperature situation in 2030 and 2050, respectively. If global warming remains below 2 ° C, less than 2% of these ecological combinations will experience sudden exposure. However, if global warming remains below 4 ° C, the risk will increase, and 15% of the biomes in these ecological combinations will be threatened.
Research shows that the risk of climate change causing biodiversity to face sudden and very serious damage is imminent. To delay this damage, large-scale and rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is required.
