The climate is the cornerstone of life on earth.
The earth's climate--the cumulative weather conditions of precipitation, temperature and wind--shapes the growth and reproduction of every living organism. The slightest changes in the atmospheric conditions or temperatures can affect the breeding, diet and migration behaviors of plants and animals.
Alaskan Mammals
As the climate changes, animals in the polar regions of Alaska might have difficulties adapting; seals and polar bears depend upon massive chunks of free-floating sea ice for hunting and breeding, and rising temperatures will erode these ice chunks.
Birds
Birds have very specific migratory and breeding patterns; climate changes can force some species to change the timing of their behaviors, such as earlier nesting as spring prematurely begins.
Fish
Climate change has increased water temperatures worldwide and decreased the quality of some waters; as a result, many species of fish such as brook trout and Northern pike are losing precious living space and the ability to survive.
Forests
The August 2009 edition of "Science Daily" states that warmer temperatures can cause excessive growth of trees and plants, which can then provide too much shade to nearby bodies of water and inhibit their productivity.
Extinction
When climate change is so dramatic that an entire habitat is changed, some animal species will eventually cease to exist as they fail to adapt or find new habitats.
Tags: climate changes