The Effects of Climate on Vegetation and Wildlife
Climate change has become a global concern over recent years. Evidence of climate change is all around us today. The primary cause of this climate change is global warming. Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. These greenhouse gases act as a blanket on the atmosphere causing the warming up of the earth. Greenhouse gases exist naturally but man-made activities increase the production of these gases. Burning coal, fossil fuel among other activities are the primary sources of greenhouse gases. Global warming has resulted in the melting of the icecaps, the rise of the sea levels and warming up of the water bodies. There have been unpredictable weather patterns that have been caused by this also. Forests are essential as they provide a home for wildlife species. They also contribute to the clearing of the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. However, continued clearing of our forests has impeded these functions of the forests. Wildlife, vegetation, and climate are all interconnected. A change in one of them affects the entire ecosystem over time. There are many effects of climate on vegetation and wildlife. Here are some of these effects.
Pollination is essential for plants. Plants thrive through pollination. There are different methods of pollination. One of the most common methods is pollination by insects and birds. Changes in climate have caused an effect on this. Pollinators are facing challenges due to changes in climate. Pollinators are now not able to pollinate the plants when needed. Unpredictable weather patterns cause earlier blooms of plants that need to be pollinated. By blooming early, the pollinators are not able to do their role. Lack of pollination that is needed affects the existence of the plants. Extinction of these plants happens as a result of this.
The earth is composed of mainly water bodies. They make up over seventy percent of the earth’s surface. These water bodies are habitats to different forms of marine life. Water bodies are homes to mammals, fish, and other plants. Due to the increased heat of our planet, there has been a rise in sea lives. This is not the only way the sea has been affected. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are absorbed by the oceans. They interact with the water making it acidic. The acidic nature of the water impeded the growth of marine life. Marine animals require these marine plants for survival. Marine life is affected overall as a result of this. The warmer temperatures result in warmer oceans which are not ideal for the survival of most marine life.
To survive climate change, most wildlife migrates to other regions. Adapting to the changes in the ecosystem is a challenge to many animals. This is especially the case for land animals. Unlike birds that can fly, land animals find it hard to migrate to better habitats. The changing precipitations affect the moisture content in the soil making it hard for plants to thrive. These are some of the many effects of the climate on wildlife and vegetation.