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Climate Change and Wildlife

arctic-buffalo Photo
Musk ox are among the wildlife that cope with the changing landscape that shifts their range and habits.
©Steve Zack

As the Earth warms, nature takes note. The effects of climate change—which include an earlier spring, the changing pH of the ocean, and shrinking ice caps—are varied, and affect life at all levels of the ecosystem. As wildlife populations cope with the changing landscape, their range and habits must often shift dramatically. The timing of annual events such as spring migrations, the mating season, and winter hibernation, are disrupted. This not only tests their own survival skills, it affects the entire web of life, so dependent on seasonal rhythms to thrive.

To address the impacts of human activities as they relate to climate change, WCS is working with local communities and industries involved in resource extraction. Our conservationists assess the effects of activities such as oil drilling or fishing on vulnerable landscapes and seascapes, and determine which extraction methods pose the least risk. This will allow us to avoid worsening the already grave threats to these ecosystems posed by climate change disturbances, and help those that are most resilient to recover.

WCS Projects

Alaska’s Migratory Birds Cope with Climate Change

The Arctic coastal plain of Alaska serves as the spring nesting ground for millions of shorebirds, waterfowl, loons, and other types of birds. Climate change is interfering with their migration, nesting, and feeding patterns. WCS-North America conservationists study how the birds cope with the changing landscape, and identify key areas for conservation.

Coral Reefs Feel the Heat

Coral reefs, sometimes referred to as “the tropical rainforests of the oceans,” contain some of the most diverse concentrations of life on the planet. As the surface temperature of the ocean warms, these fragile ecosystems are prone to bleaching events, and eventually, to death. WCS marine researchers map the global stress on corals throughout their range, and study which reefs are most resilient to environmental changes.

From the Newsroom

The Heat Is OnDecember 7, 2009

A WCS report, “Species Feeling the Heat: Connecting Deforestation and Climate Change,” highlights the impacts of deforestation and climate change on species around the globe.

Reefs Find Shelter from the HeatDecember 4, 2007

A WCS study finds that the prospects of coral reefs in the age of climate change have improved. Reefs living in sites with variable temperatures are better able to survive warm water.

General Donation

Help ensure a future for the earth’s most magnificent creatures and the habitats critical to their survival.

How You Can Help

Speak out to save big cats, great apes, and ocean giants. Threatened wildlife can recover if we give them a chance.