Alejandro Torés Sánchez The Azure-winged Magpie could lose 95% of its range in Spain and Portugal as a result of global warming. Zoom In

Climate change threatens new wave of extinction

09-01-2004

Climate change could drive a quarter of the planet's land animals and plants to extinction unless greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced, claims a new scientific paper published in the journal Nature.

As part of the research, international scientists from eight countries examined the effects of rising temperatures on over 1,000 species of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and insects in Europe, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Researchers in Britain and The Netherlands, including scientists from the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) looked at possible effects on Europe’s birds. They estimate that under the worst case scenario around a quarter of European bird species could become extinct. The situation is complicated though because most of Europe is heavily populated and intensively managed, and the interaction between land use and climate change has not yet been studied.

Alejandro Torés Sánchez The future of the Spanish Imperial Eagle looks uncertain due to the additional threat of global warming Zoom In

"Worldwide cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed" —John Lanchbery, The RSPB

John Lanchbery, of the RSPB, said: "Worldwide cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed to avoid the worst outcomes mentioned in the paper. Increased energy efficiency and more renewables are the key to reducing emissions. Countries that currently do little or nothing to limit emissions, especially the USA, must at least take the step of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol."

Some species, such as the globally threatened Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti which is largely restricted to natural parks and reserves, will be required to move to new areas. Although it is predicted that it will have a larger climatically suitable area in the future, there may not be large enough undisturbed and protected areas available to support it within its new distribution. Worryingly, future studies that take account of the availability of natural areas are likely to result in even higher estimates of extinction rate.

Alejandro Torés Sánchez The Red Kite could lose between 42 to 86% of its range in Europe Zoom In

Other European birds predicted to suffer large range losses include the Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus, Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor and Red Kite Milvus milvus.

Although some birds could be expected to be able to shift their range readily in response to climate change, the effect on their populations as a result of the extinction of plants and animals that they depend on, is another factor which makes global warming one of the most significant extinction risks of the new century.