How Does Climate Change Impact Plants And Animals？

Around the globe, there are many different kinds of biomes, places where the climate, the average weather over time, defines what kind of plants and animals can live there. Rainforests, deserts, prairies, and tundra are just some examples, and humans can live in all of them. When it gets uncomfortably warm, we can wear light clothes, turn on the air conditioning, or spend more time in some place cool. For plants and animals, things are not that easy. They live in particular biomes, because they are best adapted to the weather, soil, and day length found in those places. Some animals can tolerate big swings in weather, and can find food from many different sources, so they will be able to survive and stay where currently found. Species with more specific needs will have to move to other areas to find what they need to survive. Those that can't find those conditions quickly enough will die. Climate change may be an even bigger challenge for plants, since they can't get up and leave like animals. Plants rely on their seeds being dispersed by wind, water, and animals. Like animals, some plant species can tolerate environmental extremes, so their range may not be much affected by climate change. Other plants are not so flexible and will go extinct, unless a seed lands in the right place for long-term growth, or humans move them and care for them. Crops will be affected too. While our domesticated plants have been bred to have wide climactic tolerances, different crops still grow best in different parts of the country. Bountiful crops need timely seasonal water and temperature changes, plus appropriate day length and soil quality. As climates change, temperature and precipitation patterns will change. Farmers will need to shift where they grow certain crops. However, simply planting further north might not always work. Although climate and soil might be perfect, days will be shorter, so crops may not mature enough to produce food. The warming global climate has already impacted ecosystems and threatened many species. As it progresses, it will bring even more chaos and loss of biodiversity around the world.