Effect of Global warming on Wild Life and Marine Species and conservation

Introduction

With the advent of 20th century, mankind has advanced from Industrial age into an era of space travel. The rapid growth of infrastructure and technology has taken a large toll on the natural resources, landscape and vegetative covering, leading to increased depletion of natural resources, deforestation, increased logging , pollution . The result, an increased in earth atmospheric temperature, known as Green House Effect. Today, we are standing at the threshold of extinction of wildlife and marine species at an unimaginable pace than we could ever imagine. Studies have now concluded that Temperature is the only factor linked with distribution of species within their habitat. Any shift in this direction will lead towards habitat displacement and finally species extinction.

Habitat displacement

One key impact of Global warming is habitat displacement. Increased atmospheric temperature have greatly affected weather and rainfall pattern in various part of the world., leading to change in Landscape, distribution of Wildlife and marine species , necessitating change in the habitat of wildlife and marine species. Tropical rain forest, grassland of temperate region, the artic that once served as cradle and life support of various wildlife species are now on the verge of destruction. Collapse of natural habitat have resulted in mass exodus of wild animals, making them vulnerable to starvation, malnutrition and even death. Melting of snowline and Glaciers have led the Artic Polar Bear to venture out into unknown hostile territory .This increased temperature has now resulted in Flooding of many Coastline and Mangroves with salt water, leading to extinction of many species associated with the particular ecosystem.

Effect on Hibernation & Migration

Many species are now pushing further towards the North in search of better habitat. Penguin distribution in Antarctic region has been greatly affected due to rise in Antarctic temperature. While heat tolerant species like Shrimps expands Northward, Heat intolerant species like Calm, Flounders has retreated northward. Animals that were once adapted to warm low altitude weather now exit hibernation. Forest Marmot which hibernated for 8 Months are now emerging from hibernation 38 days earlier. American Robin which migrated from Low altitude wintering ground to high altitude summer ground are arriving 14 days earlier .Climate change has now resulted in earlier and longer growing season at low altitude, leading to earlier migration and earlier reproduction. With the arrival of early spring, Tree swallows have now started to lay eggs earlier than usual.

Arrival of earlier spring, earlier flowering temperature , arrival of insect and prey at unusual timing have greatly effected migration pattern of many bird species. Long flight migratory birds that depended on seasonally linked phenomena like Lake, water bodies , availability of seasonal food are now showing signs of suffering due to change in Environmental condition in their migratory route. Change in Migration route, Competition for food and prey has now resulted in growth of unbalanced ecosystem. This pattern is also noticeable in aquatic marine species which prefers warm oceanic temperature for breeding and hibernation. Increased water temperature has now resulted in rearrangement of oceanic Life distribution of species.

Effect on Food Chain

Global warming has greatly affected and altered the bond that existed among different species of an ecosystem. Increased in temperature can cause a large impact on the Food Chain of an ecosystem that are intricately connected web. This has caused devastated effect on the availability of insect, prey, change in flowering time which forms an important food link.

Phytoplankton, a one celled plant, that thrives in cooler ocean are now vanishing at greater pace due to increased water temperature. This has resulted in lack of Oxygen for Fish , Squid, making it difficult for them to breath due to acidic content of water and large amount of Carbon dioxide. Shift in amount of light reaching offshore plants and algae has caused reduction in their photosynthetic activity , affecting the thermo hyaline circulation which is responsible for bringing up cold, nutrients rich water from ocean depths. This primary productivity area are important to Marine animals due to Food and prey source , which determine the distribution and abundance of Marine life are now on the verge of total collapse. Increased oceanic temperature has caused bleaching of coral reefs, a process where algae that gives colour and nourishment to the coral is expelled, leading to death of corals.

Conclusion

Today our planet is plague by unprecedented alarming rate of species extinction. Disappearance of Bio-diversity, Ecological collapse. This has lead to tearing apart of ecological communities millennia in the making. This has also caused a serious impact on human life and economy. For example, Northward migration of caterpillar in Netherland has eroded forest to a great extend, while migration of warbler from united state to Canada has led to spread of mountain pine beetles that have destroyed economically productive balsam Fir tree. Change in rainfall pattern have caused flooding and submergence of many coastline, cities , decrease in food yield. The need of the hour lies in proper ratification and strict implementation of Kyoto Protocol(1997) in reducing Green House gas emission, legislation by developing countries in reduction of Green House gas will go a long way in reducing Global warming.