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Climate change is expected to cause irreversible changes to biodiversity, but predicting those risks remains uncertain. I synthesized 485 studies and more than 5 million projections to produce a quantitative global assessment of climate change extinctions. With increased certainty, this meta-analysis suggests that extinctions will accelerate rapidly if global temperatures exceed 1.5°C. The highest-emission scenario would threaten approximately one-third of species, globally. Amphibians; species from mountain, island, and freshwater ecosystems; and species inhabiting South America, Australia, and New Zealand face the greatest threats. In line with predictions, climate change has contributed to an increasing proportion of observed global extinctions since 1970. Besides limiting greenhouse gases, pinpointing which species to protect first will be critical for preserving biodiversity until anthropogenic climate change is halted and reversed.
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This content will become publicly available on March 26, 2027
A global methane observation system to track climate feedbacks for verifiable climate impact
Methane measurements, particularly of natural sources, need to be expanded considerably
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- PAR ID:
- 10692307
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Publisher / Repository:
- AAAS
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Science
- Volume:
- 391
- Issue:
- 6792
- ISSN:
- 0036-8075
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1324 to 1327
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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