Biodiversity loss and climate change are intricately interconnected; changes in one can significantly impact the other, and vice-versa.
Here are 10 ways biodiversity helps in the mitigation of climate change, and which, if disrupted, will worsen the impacts of climate change:
1. Temperature Regulation: Forests and other ecosystems play a role in regulating local and regional temperatures. Deforestation, changes in biodiversity and climate events can disrupt this natural regulation, leading to more extreme temperature fluctuations.
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2. Carbon Sequestration: Biodiverse ecosystems like forests, wetlands, and grasslands store and sequester carbon – they are natural carbon sinks. They mitigate climate change by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Destruction of these will lead to disruptive impacts of climate change.
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3. Water Purification: Biodiverse ecosystems like coral reefs, wetlands and mangroves act as natural filters, purifying water and reducing the impact of climate-related water quality issues, such as ocean acidification and increased nutrient runoff.
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4. Food Security: Biodiversity is essential for food security. Climate change can affect food sources, the availability and distribution of species that humans and animals rely on for food, potentially leading to food shortages and price increases.
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5. Ecosystem Resilience: Biodiverse ecosystems are more resilient to climate-related disturbances like storms, droughts, and fires. A variety of species can play different roles in maintaining ecosystem functions.
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6. Invasive Species: Climate change can enable invasive species to outcompete native ones, causing biodiversity and habitat loss, even dependable food harvesting for both humans and animals.
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7. Pollination: Many plants rely on animal pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, for reproduction. Climate change can disrupt the timing of flowering and pollinator activity, which can negatively impact both biodiversity and food production.
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8. Altered breeding seasons: Climate change disrupts reproduction and migration of land and air animals. This could lead to increased competition for food that might threaten many wildlife populations.
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9. Indigenous communities: Changes in climate can disrupt services to indigenous communities, affecting communities that rely on them. Traditional knowledge and practices of nature stewardship can be lost with this disruption, contributing to further loss of the harmony in biodiversity.
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10. Medicinal Resources: Biodiversity is a source of many medicines and pharmaceuticals. Climate change can disrupt the habitats of these valuable species, impacting our ability to access and develop new medicines. Climate change also shifts disease vectors (more humid weather causes mosquitoes to grow that causes higher risks of malaria) , impacting species.
Further reading.
Biodiversity is essential for limiting climate change, and rapid climate action is essential for biodiversity conservation. These interlinkages highlight the importance of addressing both climate change and biodiversity loss in a coordinated manner to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for our planet.
