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IUCN releases climate change hit list

Monday 14 Dec 09

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Video produced by ARKive of the ten climate change flagship species presented in the IUCN report, Species and Climate Change.

With the eyes of the world focused on Copenhagen for the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15), the IUCN has released a timely report profiling the species-level impacts of global warming.

According to the report, Species and Climate Change, some of the Earth's most iconic species, such as the emperor penguin, koala and leatherback turtle, are amongst those expected to be hardest hit. Focusing on ten climate change flagship species, including the Arctic fox, beluga whale, clownfish, quiver tree, ringed seal, salmon, and staghorn corals, the report highlights the adverse impacts of climate change on different regions of the world, from the tropics to the poles.

The loss of sea-ice due to global warming is adversely affecting species from both poles. In the Antarctic, the decline in the extent of the pack-ice will result in the loss of emperor penguin breeding habitat, while reduced ice cover means less krill, a vital source of food for many Antarctic species.

Similarly, in the Arctic, the ringed seal is being forced northwards as the sea-ice it relies on for pup-rearing retreats. The scenario for the beluga whale is equally ominous, with less ice cover making it harder to find prey, while the opening up of previously inaccessible areas will make this highly sociable species more vulnerable to human activity.

Warming temperatures are also helping the spread of northern forests into the Arctic tundra, a habitat on which the Arctic fox depends. With the change in habitat, the red fox, which preys on the Arctic fox and competes with it for food, is able to move further north, thus reducing the Arctic fox’s range.

The impacts of climate change are certainly not restricted to the polar regions, however, with species from tropical regions also struggling in the heat. Even slight rises in ocean temperatures can lead to coral bleaching, which leaves coral weak and vulnerable to harmful diseases. The environmentally sensitive staghorn corals, which comprise around 160 species, are already exhibiting signs of significant declines.

Too much carbon dioxide in the oceans results in ocean acidification, a process which adversely affects a wide range of species. For the clownfish, an increase in the level of dissolved carbon dioxide can disrupt this species' sense of smell, inhibiting its ability to locate its host anemone, and therefore making it more vulnerable to predation.

Rising sea levels and an increase in storm activity associated with climate change is destroying the nesting habitats of the world’s largest turtle, the leatherback Furthermore, rising air temperatures may result in the leatherback population developing a skewed sex ratio, as like some other reptiles, sex is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated.

Freshwater habitats are also in peril, with increased water temperatures leading to reduced water oxygen levels. Insufficient dissolved oxygen can disrupt the breeding efforts of salmon and leave them highly susceptible to disease.

In Australia, the Koala is potentially threatened by malnutrition, and ultimately starvation, as a result of the declining nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves bought about by increasing CO2 levels.

Despite the focus on impacts to animal species, the sedentary nature of plants makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change. A prime example is the quiver tree from the Namib Desert in southern Africa, which is disappearing from northern parts of its range due to drought stress.

Follow ARKive on twitter throughout the Climate Change Conference to find out about other species likely to be affected by climate change. Also, visit MyARKive to view a selection of images and videos in the Species and Climate Change scrapbook.



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