limate change threatens the survival of dozens of animal
species from the emperor penguin to Australian koalas, according to
a report released Monday at the UN climate summit.
Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and shrinking polar ice
are taking a heavy toll on species already struggling to cope with
pollution and shrinking habitats, said the study from the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an
intergovernmental group.
"Humans are not the only ones whose fate is at stake here in
Copenhagen -- some of our favourite species are also taking the
fall for our CO2 emissions," said Wendy Foden, an IUCN researcher
and co-author of the study.
The report details how climate change undermines the viability
of 10 species, including the leatherback turtle, the beluga whale,
clownfish, the emperor penguin and salmon.
Australia's iconic koala faces malnutrition and ultimate
starvation as the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves declines
as CO2 levels increase, the report added.
Polar species are especially hard hit.
The ringed seal is being forced further north as sea ice it
relies on for rearing its vulnerable pups retreats every decade.
The emperor penguin, remarkably adapted to thrive in harsh
Antarctic conditions, faces similar problems. Reduced ice cover
makes it harder to mate and raise chicks, and has caused a sharp
decline in the availability of krill, a major food source.
As once-frozen tundra gives way to forest, the common red fox
has moved northward, where it preys on and competes with the far
rarer arctic fox.
species from the emperor penguin to Australian koalas, according to
a report released Monday at the UN climate summit.
Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and shrinking polar ice
are taking a heavy toll on species already struggling to cope with
pollution and shrinking habitats, said the study from the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an
intergovernmental group.
"Humans are not the only ones whose fate is at stake here in
Copenhagen -- some of our favourite species are also taking the
fall for our CO2 emissions," said Wendy Foden, an IUCN researcher
and co-author of the study.
The report details how climate change undermines the viability
of 10 species, including the leatherback turtle, the beluga whale,
clownfish, the emperor penguin and salmon.
Australia's iconic koala faces malnutrition and ultimate
starvation as the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves declines
as CO2 levels increase, the report added.
Polar species are especially hard hit.
The ringed seal is being forced further north as sea ice it
relies on for rearing its vulnerable pups retreats every decade.
The emperor penguin, remarkably adapted to thrive in harsh
Antarctic conditions, faces similar problems. Reduced ice cover
makes it harder to mate and raise chicks, and has caused a sharp
decline in the availability of krill, a major food source.
As once-frozen tundra gives way to forest, the common red fox
has moved northward, where it preys on and competes with the far
rarer arctic fox.
