Let’s imagine how an anaconda would do in Russia or a penguin in the Amazon. Not all species are used to the same climate! Each one has its own tolerance limits within which it can survive.
Now, with climate change, temperatures start exceeding the limits of some plants and animals more and more frequently, until they disappear. In a recent paper published in the journal Science, researchers reported rapid decreases in the number of bumblebee species and their distribution areas in regions of Europe and North America where heat waves became more frequent and extreme in the last century.
In other words, temperatures have peaked so much in some places, that local bumblebee populations dropped, and the species that couldn’t stand it simply disappeared from those locations. And even though there was also an increase of some species in places that used to be too cold for them, rising temperatures have brought more losses than gains for these furry little friends. According to the authors, if things continue along the same path without any change, many of these species could soon begin to vanish off the face of the Earth. The consequences of losing such pollination gurus could be disastrous for agriculture and natural ecosystems.
Today, for the International Day of Climate Action, a little reminder of the threats that climate change poses to biodiversity 🐝
References
Soroye P, Newbold T, Kerr J (2020). Climate change contributes to widespread declines among bumble bees across continents. Science, 367: 685-688.
