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Morgan Long

Professor Slacks

ENGL 102

May 11, 2020

How Global Warming is Poisoning Earth’s Biodiversity

The planet’s climate is rising due to human’s extensive emitting of greenhouse gases and

everybody knows it. This has many harming side effects that damage earths biosphere. The

biodiversity of plants and animals worldwide is threatened by various outcomes of global

warming. If changes are not made to diminish the amount of gases released into the atmosphere,

hundreds of thousands of species will struggle to survive and may even go extinct.

The burning of fossil fuel is emitting gases into the atmosphere, which keep heat from

escaping out and result in rising the temperatures on earth. This is threatening certain species that

live in colder climates. Sunlight is radiated onto earth and partially reflected back. That of which

remains within the atmosphere is used for heat. But greenhouse gases such as water vapor,

nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide (NASA) are blocking the heat from being released

back into space. Overtime, the climate experiences rise in temperature which has had a major

effect on earth’s biodiversity. There are both region- and taxon-specific estimates of biodiversity

loss that range from 0-54% (Hille & Lambers). Region specific loss is in places with endemic

species that are not spread aroud the globe. Australia, New Zealand, and South America (Hille &

Lambers) are the homes of many endemic species and are therefore at higher risk of biodiversity

loss. It has been estimated that if no changes are made to the amount of carbon emissions, about

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1/6 of species will go extinct (Hille & Lambers). And the first step to achieve this, is decreasing

the emission of greenhouse gasses

The extensive amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is emitted into the atmosphere via the

burning of fossil fuels poses as a great threat to oceans and certain herbivores. Through

photosynthesis, plants have been very helpful in terms of absorbing the C02. For them, it is very

helpful and has “increased growth rate in many species” (Hoffman). But the increase levels of

CO2 have increased the toxicity levels in eucalyptus leaves (“Koalas at risk”), making it inedible

for koalas to consume. Ian Hume, emeritus professor of biology at Sydney University, studied

the effect of rising CO2 in the plant’s leaves’ nutritional value. He discovered a fall in nutrients

and rise in anti-nutrients, such as tannis (“Koalas at risk”). Prior to global warming the leaves

had already been low in levels of nutrients, which is exactly why koalas will sleep 20 hours a day

and conserve their energy (“Koalas at risk”). This discovery is very concerning, because koalas

diet consists of only eating eucalyptus leaves. It is limited even more, for the animas only eat 25

of the 600 species of eucalyptus (“Koalas at risk”). Hume fears that the decrease of nutrients in

the koala’s diet will lessen the production of offspring from annually, to only to every three to

four years (“Koalas at risk”). Koalas are already an endangered species and the emission of

carbon dioxide is accelerating their extinction. Unlike koalas, some parasitic species may

actually benefit from conditions of global warming, which threatens other species instead.

The rise in temperature in the North is allowing more diseases to spread faster and for

parasites to survive easier, “[modifying] host-parasite relationships” (Descamps). The seabird

tick lives is located in Northern regions of the Artic and Antarctica. Their survival depends on

the temperature of their environment, for they are not able to live in conditions below 12C

(Descamps). Climate change has been spiking temperatures all over earth, making it easier for

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parasites such as the seabird tick to live longer and infect more Seabirds. The ixodes uriae and its

“close relatives, I. ricinus and I. scapularis” (Descamps) are also found in the polar regions and

have also been more prevalent in number. As the temperatures have been rising, the living

conditions for these parasite have improved, thus their population has been growing and they

feed off of their hosts for much longer. Seabird colonies are found in many locations such as

“kittiwake” and “Spitsbergen” (Descamps). A Seabird that has been infected by an ixodes uriae

can suffer from “lower body condition, breeding success, and even death” (Descamps). The

Seabird tick had not been found in the Spitsbergen location until 2007 (Descamps) and the

prevalence in the Ossian Sarfjellet colony had risen to more than 35% (Descamps). The study

predicts that if temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, it will reach up to 45% by

2100 (Descamps). If these predictions turn out to be accurate, then the Seabird populations of the

area will be at risk, for the ticks can affect its host at both an individual and population level

(Descamps). The ticks will be able to feed off of the birds and spread disease much quicker,

attacking the species overall. But the warming of earth is not only harming to a few bird species

in the Arctic. Climate change is affecting much more diverse ecosystems and therefore many

more organisms such as the oceans coral reefs.

Oceans’ temperatures are rising and it is harming marine life in many ways. Coral reefs

have suffered a great deal to due to climate change in many ways. Coral bleaching is one of the

most damaging outcomes of climate change and results in the greatest biodiversity loss on earth.

Coral bleaching is a term used to describe the dying off of coral species. This occurs when the

coral ejects their “zooxanthellae, a symbiotic photosynthetic algae that lives within coral tissues

and provides it with essential nutrients” (Hoffman). Their symbiosis is actually mutualistic and

involves the algae providing the coral with sufficient nutrient to survive while the coral offers a

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safe habitat. When the algae experiences conditions such as high temperatures and pollution,

they are stressed and unable to survive (Hoffman). Along with nutrients, zooxanthellae provide

coral with their popular vibrant colors (Hoffman), and so the expelling of the algae leaves the

corals looking white, hence the term “bleaching”. As the coral lacks the nutrients that were

previously served by the algae, the risk of disease increases (Hoffman). Eventually, the corals die

as well and marine wildlife that depends on their reefs for habitat, food source, and protection

from predators remain vulnerable as well.

People will often times refer to coral reefs as “rainforests of the sea” (Cho) because of the

extensive amount of marine life that inhabit and rely on these ecosystems. Although “they

occupy less than one percent of the ocean floor, [they] are home to a quarter of all marine

species” (Cho). They are productive for both marine life and humans, providing for more than

500 million people in the world (Cho). The bleaching of corals therefore affects humans as well.

There have been a few “major bleaching events” (Hoffman) that have occurred in the Great

Barrier Reef in 1998, 2002, and 2006 (Hoffman) and in the Caribbean during the 1997-1998 and

2015-2017 El Niño. The repetitive occurrence of such events has had a massive impact on the

coral reefs ability to reproduce and recover from these bleaching events. According to “Terry

Hughes, lead author of a new study on coral bleaching” (Cho), it takes 10 to 15 years for coral

reefs to fully recover from a bleaching event and the frequency of these events is preventing

them from doing so (Cho). More than 80% of the Great Barrier Reef has already experienced

coral bleaching (Cho). As humans continue to attribute to climate change by burning fossil fuels,

they occurrence of coral bleaching will escalate and end up losing thousands of marine species

and thus shrinking the biodiversity even more. Global warming is accelerating the amounts of

CO2 in the air and affecting quality all wildlife, including plants.

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As the photosynthetic plants in oceans absorb the CO2 the PH level has decreased

significantly (Hoffman). On a daily basis, oceans absorb 22 million tons of carbon making the

waters more acidic then they have been in 400,000 years (Cho). Once the water reaches a certain

level if acidity, the carrying capacity, meaning the maximum amount possible, of calcium

carbonate is reduced (Cho). This chemical is critical in the building of corals’ exoskeletons,

which ultimately the structure of the coral and protects it from eroding (Cho). Without its

exoskeleton, coral is vulnerable and survival rates are low. Eventually the plants die off and

abandon the thousands of species that inhabit them. If a significant amount of coral dies off, the

biodiversity of coral reefs will decrease (Cho). It is estimated that by 2050, only 15% of coral

reefs will have enough calcium carbonate to grow and function normally (Cho). And as if ocean

acidification affected calcium carbonate is not enough harm, it also increases the chances of

coral bleaching, as mentioned earlier (Cho). Katherina Fabricius, a scientist at the Australian

Institute of Marine Science, explains how several species of fish and other marine creates will

lose their habitat and fail to survive (Cho). Coral reefs, being one of the most biodiverse

ecosystems on earth would, should be prioritized when trying to maintain wildlife biodiversity.

We not only have to deal with the tragic consequences of our actions in the oceans, but on land

as well.

Global warming has also contributed to the frequency and intensity of natural disasters

such as storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires (Hoffman). The recent wildfires in Australia is

just one case of extreme events caused by global warming and that will greatly endanger the

planet’s biodiversity. In 2019 Australia experienced its most extreme and damaging wildfire,

with a total of 17.9 million acres being burnt (Resnick), 20 people being killed, and 2,000 homes

being destroyed (Gunia). Wildfires are not unnatural event to occur in Australia, being a dry and

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hot continent, but climate change has altered them in the sense of them occurring on a much

larger scale and at abnormal intensities (Resnick). Habitats that typically would not burn did, like

the “subtropical rainforests along the Queensland-New South Wales”. Ecologists are concerned

with these areas having been affected because the climate has only risen approximately 1 degree,

but is estimated to rise up to 3-4 due to global warming (Resnick). Further fires, which will be

likely to occur in the future with the rising temperatures, will “jeopardize habitat stability and

place any recovering animal populations at even higher risk of extinction” (Gunia). Australia is

known to be “one of the great biodiversity hot spots in the world”. It is home to many species

that are only located in Australia and nowhere else on the planet. If a wildfire so damaging

occurred with only a fourth of the estimate change in temperature, imagine how much of the

ecosystem and its biodiversity will be destroyed and collapse in the next few years of climate

change. In the wildfire of 2019, dozens of threatened species along with hundreds of others were

affected by the fires (Resnick). Especially the “lesser-known species that live in small areas

[have] been totally engulfed” (Resnick) as their habitats have been burnt down and their

ecosystems completely destroyed. As these wildfire events will continue to occur and increase in

intensity, more and more animals will die and less of the landscape will remain to sustain the

surviving species, threating all with extinction.

During the Australian wildfire, an estimated 1 billion animals had died, according to

ecologist Chris Dickman at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Science (Gunia). As

mentioned earlier, Australia is one of the “biodiversity hotspots” (Resnick) because of the many

native species that only inhabit one region on earth. According to the Commonwealth Scientific

and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) of Australia, the continents’ biodiversity had

been threatened by factors such as invasive species and habitat destruction (Resnick), but climate

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change is the most threatening of all. In an interview with Sarah Legge, an “ecologist at Australia

National University”, she explains the effects of the recent wildfire on the animals and highlights

the extreme risk of biodiversity loss because of it. Australian animals that were already

endangered were brought to the “brink of extinction” (Resnick) as many of them died in the fire.

She describes it as “the beginning of the end for them”. Legge also explains that because of how

much land was burnt and damaged, several ecosystems in the area have either been completely

destroyed or will eventually collapse (Resnick).

Wildlife had been able to survive the rare and minimal fires, but the recent wildfire of

2019 was so extreme, that they were just not cut out for it. Fires would typically affect about 5%

of species’ distribution, whereas now 100% were affected (Resnick). And for endemic species,

these fires are all the more threatening, for as the fires spread and effect much more of the

region, all forms of habitat and food are destroyed, leaving the animals with no shelter and to die

of starvation (Resnick). Not only will certain species lack the resources required to survive, but

Legge says the fires will attract predators later on to hunt on their vulnerable and weak prey

(Resnick). This is behavior that scientists cannot yet explain but somehow predators such as

foxes and cats are “attracted to [the] fire-affected area” (Resnick) and will travel as far as 30

kilometers, knowing that their prey has no shelter and therefore protection. It is assumed that

they just notice the smoke and follow it to hunt.

An example of for such an animal is the Kangaroo Island dunnart, a small “mouth-sized

marsupial” (Gunia) located on Kangaroo Island. The species was endangered prior to the

massive fire and a remaining 500 are estimated to exist on the island (Gunia). Pat Hogens, a

worker of the “Kangaroo Island dunnart conservation with the non-profit Land for Wildlife”,

describes how he and his team found the landscape to be completely changed and the habitat of

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the species destroyed (Gunia). Like many species, the Kangaroo Island dunnart will struggle to

survive with little to know food or shelter and being exposed to predators such as feral cats

(Gunia). Although climate change generally consists of warmer temperatures, too dry weather is

not the only problem that arises.

Along with a boost in “extreme events” (Hoffman) due to rise in temperature, a

significant rise in sea-level has been recorded and is expected to rise as global warming

continues. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea

level rise (SLR) of 26-98cm by 2100 (Hoffman). The world has already experienced and

reported a significant rise in sea level in the past few decades. From 1993 to 2003, there has been

an increase of 0.31 +/- 0.7 a year on earth (Loucks et. al.). The Sundarbans mangrove forest in

Bangladesh has been victim of greater SLR, according to the SAARC Meteorology Research

center (SMRC), with 0.4-0.78cm (Loucks et. al.). If global warming continues its current course

and the SLR continues to grow, Bangladesh will experience 0.3-1 meters by 2100 (Loucks et.

al.). Such extreme and rapid rise of sea level are threatening to ecosystems and local human

civilians for several reasons. The people will be higher at higher risk of experiencing flooding

and storms, which harms the local wildlife and biodiversity as well. The “Sundarbans and its

biodiversity is critical to the survival of millions of Bangladeshis” (Loucks et. al.), providing

them with food and building supplies, fisheries, protecting the cities form cyclones, and its

vegetation taking part in vital carbon cycling (Loucks et. al.). This outcome of global warming

poses as a great threat to local wildlife as well, for unnatural amounts of water can destroy

habitat and therefore the chance of survival for many species.

Planet earth is the home of all humans, animals, and plants. The human species has been

destroying the biosphere by burning heavy amounts of fossil fuels and poisoning the air with

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greenhouse gases. In the long run, this will have tremendous harmful outcomes on all forms of

life on earth. We need to change our habit of generating climate change to save the biodiversity

of our planet.

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Works Cited

Cho, Renee. “Losing Our Coral Reefs”. Earth Institute Columbia University, Jun 13 2011,

https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/06/13/losing-our-coral-reefs/. Accessed 2 May 2020.

Descamps, Sébastien. “Winter Temperature Affects the Prevalence of Ticks in an Arctic

Seabird”. PloS ONE, Vol. 8 Issue 6, Jun 2013, https://web-b-ebscohost-

com.montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=6d40b198-4365-

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b=a9h. Accessed 23 Apr 2020.

Gunia, Amy. “This Marsupial Was Only Discovered 5 Years Ago. Climate Change and

Australia’s Bushfires are Driving it to Extinction”. Time, Jan 10 2020,

https://time.com/5761083/australia-bushfires-biodiversity-plants-animals/. Accessed 4

May 2020.

Hoffman, Ary. “Climate Change and Biodiversity“. Australian Academy of Science.

https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/climate-change-and-biodiversity.

Accessed 23 Apr 2020.

Lambers, Ris, and Hille, Janneke. “Extinction Risks From Climate Change”. Science, Vol. 348

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Loucks, Colby, et al. “Sea Level Rise and Tigers: Predicted Impacts to Bangladesh’s Sundarbans

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