Climate change threatens a growing number of species

Mondo Social Updated on 2024-01-31

Demonstrators wear fish-shaped hoods outside the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs** in London, England, September 28, 2023. Visual China.

Compilation of the new crown of the country.

Russia's Sputnik news agency quoted an assessment report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as saying that climate change is threatening more and more species;For aquatic species, the main threats are global warming, pollution, overfishing, and declining water levels.

IUCN Director-General Gretel Aguilar said that climate change is undermining global biodiversity and nature's ability to meet basic human needs. "There is a strong link between climate and the biodiversity crisis, and biodiversity loss is one of the catastrophes caused by climate change. Humanity must come together to fight climate change. Aguilar said.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the world's freshwater fish and concludes that 25 percent of freshwater fish are at risk of extinction. "The diversity of freshwater fish is an integral part of the ecosystem. Ensuring that freshwater ecosystems are well managed, fluid, adequate and of good quality is important to ensure species diversity. Kathy Hughes, co-chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission's Freshwater Fish Expert Group, noted.

Green sea turtle populations in the south-central and eastern Pacific Ocean are at risk of extinction. The IUCN report says that the entire life cycle of green sea turtles is seriously threatened by climate change: high temperatures lead to a decrease in the success rate of green turtle hatching;Rising sea levels increase the likelihood of green turtle nests being submerged;The seagrass that green sea turtles eat is susceptible to factors such as ocean warming.

The IUCN report shows that human conservation of some species has yielded results. The Sahel region of Africa spans 10 countries, including Chad, and Scimitar was once a common species in the region, but in the late 90s of the last century, extreme drought and overhunting led to the extinction of Scimitar in the region. Today, through species conservation measures, scimitar-horned antelope has been reintroduced to Chad. The IUCN stresses that the survival of scimitar-horned antelope depends on the continued protection of humans from poaching. It is important to be wary that climate change in the Sahel remains a threat to this species.

The story of scimitar-horned antelope shows that species conservation measures taken by humans are effective. To ensure that its effects are durable, we need to decisively address the interrelated issues of climate change and the biodiversity crisis. IUCN President Razan Mubarak said.

*: China Youth Daily client.

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