The myriad creatures and plants with whom we share this planet are intimately tied to their habitat and zone of temperature, precipitation or ocean current. As mean temperatures rise, and climate is affected, living things have no choice but to react -- to move or adapt. On earlier pages, this Web site documents some of these changes in polar regions, where climate change is very dramatic

The same changes are at play in the mid latitudes, also.  It is very clear that huge changes in biodiversity and individual creatures are happening now -- and are accelerating.

In the past few years,  scientists have published a large number of studies showing strong correlations among animal and plant range changes. The latest of these  were published in January 2003 and 2004 in the journal Nature.

In the latest of these far-reaching peer-reviewed articles,  an international group of scientists has predicted that by mid century up to a third of land plants and animal species may be pushed close to extinction.   The study, "Extinction risk from climate change," measured the responses to current change and habitat limits of 1103 species in many habitats, and found that climate change is "...likely to be the greatest threat in many if not most regions."  

A year before, Nature published an analysis of studies of more than 1,700 species indicating significant range shifts averaging 6.1 km per decade towards the poles.  It reported  that natural springtime events are occurring earlier by 2.3 days per decade in the late 20th century. A second analysis of 143 studies shows a significant impact of global warming is already discernible in animal and plant populations. See my Reference section for details of many such studies. Photos of some plant and animal reactions in the temperate zone are the subject of this portion of World View of Global Warming...

The myriad creatures and plants with whom we share this planet are intimately tied to their habitat and zone of temperature, precipitation or ocean current. As mean temperatures rise, and climate is affected, living things have no choice but to react -- to move or adapt. On earlier pages, this Web site documents some of these changes in polar regions, where climate change is very dramatic

The same changes are at play in the mid latitudes, also.  It is very clear that huge changes in biodiversity and individual creatures are happening now -- and are accelerating.

In the past few years,  scientists have published a large number of studies showing strong correlations among animal and plant range changes. The latest of these  were published in January 2003 and 2004 in the journal Nature.

In the latest of these far-reaching peer-reviewed articles,  an international group of scientists has predicted that by mid century up to a third of land plants and animal species may be pushed close to extinction.   The study, "Extinction risk from climate change," measured the responses to current change and habitat limits of 1103 species in many habitats, and found that climate change is "...likely to be the greatest threat in many if not most regions."  

A year before, Nature published an analysis of studies of more than 1,700 species indicating significant range shifts averaging 6.1 km per decade towards the poles.  It reported  that natural springtime events are occurring earlier by 2.3 days per decade in the late 20th century. A second analysis of 143 studies shows a significant impact of global warming is already discernible in animal and plant populations. See my Reference section for details of many such studies. Photos of some plant and animal reactions in the temperate zone are the subject of this portion of World View of Global Warming...