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The threat from climate change

Climate change is putting huge pressure on many natural ecosystems (communities of plants, animals and other living things, and the way they interact). As temperatures continue to rise, climate change could threaten up to a third of all land-living animal species with extinction by 2050.

Some examples of how species are affected by climate change are:

• the first creatures thought to have become extinct due to climate change were amphibians in Costa Rica, including frogs and the Golden Toad - a change in weather patterns triggered disease outbreaks which wiped out the whole species
• melting sea ice in the Arctic will reduce the time polar bears have to catch seals and fish easily - numbers are predicted to fall by a third by 2050
• marine turtles are affected by changes to the beaches where they live, damage to coral reefs and changed ocean currents
• in the UK, birds like the curlew and bearded tit are threatened by the warming and drying of the habitats where they live; and plants are affected too, like the curly-leaved buttercup and tufted sedge
• numbers of ring ouzel, a bird living mainly in the Scottish moorlands, are falling sharply because warmer weather has affected its food supplies in summer

Habitat destruction and other pressures

Between a hundred and a thousand species become extinct each year, mainly because the habitats where they live are changing or being destroyed.

Man has already destroyed about a half of all the world’s grasslands and a third of its forests - the rate of destruction is speeding up. The World Conservation Union estimates that of the 40,000 species it tracks each year, 16,000 are threatened with extinction. This includes one in three amphibians, a quarter of coniferous trees, one in eight birds and one in four mammals.

Some examples of how species are affected by habitat loss, hunting and illegal wildlife trade include:

• only 1,600 giant pandas are now left in China, and the remaining populations have become isolated from each other
• palm oil is found in many products including toothpaste, fuel and processed foods; the palm trees used to produce it are nearly all grown in Indonesia and Malaysia, and clearing land to grow them is widely thought to play a big part in the loss of natural forest in these countries - the only habitat where endangered orang utans live in the wild
• in the North Sea there is evidence that the ecosystem has changed which has reduced the availability of the plankton which certain fish feed on - this, and the effects of over-fishing in recent decades, has significantly decreased many stocks of fish
• less fish has a negative impact upon other marine wildlife including seabirds which rely on them for food - as the number of sand eels has fallen, birds such as puffins, terns and fulmars have been badly affected resulting in starvation and breeding failure
• freshwater species have suffered some of the most dramatic declines - more than half the freshwater fish in the Mediterranean region are threatened with extinction
• larger freshwater species such as the hippopotamus are also in difficulty because of ivory hunting and exploitation for meat, populations in the Congo, for instance, falling by 95 per cent in recent years
• poaching is threatening rhinos with extinction - although international trade in rhino horns is banned, they are still being used in traditional Asian medicines and carved to make ornamental objects such as dagger handles

• Endangered species abroad - your responsibilities

Why it matters

There are many reasons why species and habitats are important and should be protected. Biodiversity (the variety of life on the planet) is a source of inspiration and enjoyment to many people, and ultimately all human life depends on nature for its survival.

Natural ecosystems shape the planet and make human life possible. Functioning ecosystems help to regulate our climate and provide us with sources of food, water, breathable air and plant materials that are used for everything from building our homes to producing medicines.

Humans depend upon ecosystems, and for ecosystems to work they need a wide range of species - removing just one can change the whole system.

How you can help

There are many ways in which our lives affect animals and the natural environment. Buying wooden furniture for your house or garden, unless it is from a certified sustainable source, may contribute to deforestation and habitat loss. Leaving your heating on when you’re out of the house or your TV on standby contributes to climate change.

These are just a few examples. Throughout the environment and greener living section you will find ideas about what you can do: ways to help tackle the big problems like climate change, pollution and deforestation. There are also things you can do to take care of your local area, like encouraging wildlife in your garden or becoming a conservation volunteer.

• Quick guides - gardens, travel, home and more
• Encouraging wildlife in your garden
• Green volunteering (home and community section)

More useful links

• Birds and climate change (opens new window)
• Species threatened (opens new window)
• Find out more about ecosystems (opens new window)
• More on deforestation from the Prince's Rainforests Project (opens new window)