Effects Of Global Warming On Animals

Effect of Global Warming on Animals
In 2008, efforts were made to list the polar bear on the Endangered Species List. This move was undertaken not because of over-hunting but because the ice they stand on has been shrinking every year. This much-publicized effort highlighted the effect that global warming will have on the animal kingdom, effects that are just as serious, if not more so, thanthose affecting people.
Significance
The plight of the polar bear is just one example of animals who find the natural environment they depend on disappearing out from under them. The effects of global warming on animals is more than simply warmer temperatures. It has wide-ranging consequences on food, habitat, migrations. These three areas in particular are likely to provide the most stress on theanimal kingdom, but there are other effects, often species specific. Coupled with other environmental pressures such as pollution, the effects of global warming may prove disastrous for a multitude of species.
Habitat Loss
Habitat loss is one of the most obvious effects of global warming on animals. Species that rely on low-lying islands may find these island suddenly submerged, for example.Trees and other plants are no longer growing as well, or are more susceptible to diseases because of warmer temperatures. The animals who depend upon these plants for shelter then suffer when they are no longer available. Weather patterns have also expanded many of the world's deserts, like the Sahara, edging out other environments and their animal populations, and changes in coastlines will impactthe animals who live along the shore.
Loss of Food
Food supplies for animals are also being affected by global warming, often in unexpected ways. For example, lemming populations have begun to suffer due to global warming. Many other animals depend on lemmings for food, and time their reproductive cycles so that they have young when lemmings are plentiful. A lack of lemmings affects multiplespecies, and it is a pattern repeated elsewhere around the world. Trees and plants bear fruit too late or too early, and the animals that depend on them can starve.
Migration Patterns
Many animals travel great distances in annual migrations, and these are also affected by global warming. One aspect is the loss of habitat at either end of a migration route. Another is shifting patterns, asanimals seeking cooler climes are forced to travel farther toward the poles or into higher elevations, competing with already established species. Animals that rely on seasonally linked phenomena, such as the presence of ice on lakes, ponds, or seas, or the availability of seasonal foods, also suffer in their travels when these weather-related environmental conditions are not in place at their usualtimes of the year.
Considerations
It may well be impossible to gauge the effect of global warming on all species until they start to come under pressure. The effect global warming has had on lemmings, for example, was not considered until the residents of Scandinavian nations began observing a decline in their numbers. In addition to long-term climate changes such as the expanding desert, ifglobal warming leads to more severe storms, greater floods, or more frequent fires, these too will affect the animal species that live in areas hit by these natural disasters. Some species may even face extinction as a result of climate change.

Animals Affected by Global Warming
Global warming is an increase in the Earth's average temperature. Humans have contributed to global warming through theburning of fossil fuels, clearing land and other activities. Global warming has many damaging effects, such as changing weather patterns and the spread of disease. Humans aren't the only ones to feel the effects of global warming. It can have a devastating effect on plants and animals. Many animals already are endangered, and global warming may cause them to become extinct. Although all animals...