Effects of Climate Change on Animal Migration Patterns and Habitats

Global warming is causing unprecedented shifts in animal distribution and habitat, affecting systems on the planet. Increasing average temperature, changes of season, and catastrophes compel lots of species to change, move, or die. Some animals, including birds, whales, and butterflies, which move from one region to another in search of food or breeding grounds, are greatly affected. Rising temperature is altering the migration schedules such that species arrive at breeding or feeding grounds at unsuitable times. This is crooked with the availability of foods or principles conditions important for their survival and reproductive capabilities. For instance, birds that migrate earlier due to warming may discover that insects on which their young ones depend have not reached their peak. Habitats, too, are also experiencing dramatic changes. Parts of the Arctic are actually melting, and habitats for polar bears and seals are getting smaller due to ice levels; sea levels have risen, and coastal and island habitats are being submerged. On land, species are shifting to cooler climates in altitude or latitude, a process that results in the congestion of favorable habitats. All of these changes create a ripple effect in ecosystems. Consumers are preying on their prey, pollination is being affected, and natural species are losing their balance. There should be commitment to fighting climate change to support animal movements and habitats around the world for many species and ecosystems to coexist.