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Global warming is the single biggest threat to wildlife today.

In its 2007 report, the IPCC stated that 20-30% of species worldwide are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in average global temperatures exceed 2.2-4.0° F above current levels. This could happen by the end of the century if global warming pollution is not dramatically reduced.

Wildlife depends on healthy habitats. They need:

Let’s start with temperature. In many cases, global warming is changing the temperature in habitats across the US. Some species can move to cooler locations.

For example, this moth moved from northern California to Washington state.

But some species have no where to move. The polar bear has no colder place than the Arctic.

As the ice literally melts out from under their feet, the future for polar bears is becoming increasing bleak. By 2050, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could be gone and all of the polar bears in Alaska, due to global warming.

Adapted to cold temperatures, moose are being stressed by increased temperatures. In northwestern Minnesota, the population has crashed from the mid-1980s of about 4000 animals to less than 300 by 2003. Researchers conclude climate change was the driving force behind the decline.

Another mountain species, the yellow-bellied marmot, is leaving hibernation dens more than a month sooner than it used to. This is bad news because their food is still covered with snow.

Temperature is also important for migrating species, such as birds. When it gets colder, in the fall, many species rely on temperatures dropping. This causes them to instinctively migrate to warmer places where food is more plentiful.

Some species rely on cold temperatures to keep their food from spoiling. The gray jay caches food for its young. As temperatures rise and the food spoils, the gray jay doesn’t have enough food for their nestlings.

Warmer temperatures also mean more insects. For the caribou in the Arctic, increased mosquitoes actually put mother and calf caribou at risk, they are so plentiful.

Warmer ocean temperatures are one factor that is killing our planet’s coral reefs. Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems.

Another impact of temperature change is the rise of invasive species.

Warmer average temperatures stress native species that are “in balance” with their natural habitats and make them less able to compete. This gives an edge to invasive species that are often more robust in their ability to adapt to changing conditions.

For example, zebra mussels in the Great Lakes crowd out native species.

Next, wildlife are impacted by changes in fresh water.

This maps shows how the peak of spring runoff is happening earlier in most of the Pacific Northwest.

Many fish need water that is:

If global warming continues unabated, experts estimate that 18-38% of current trout and salmon habitat could be gone by 2090. Declining mountain snow pack, earlier spring runoff and higher water temperatures all contribute to dewatering of rivers and streams relied upon not only for fish and wildlife, but also for agriculture and drinking water.

Sea-level rise impacts coastal wildlife.

As surface air temperatures around the globe increase, ocean waters are expanding and polar ice caps are melting, causing sea levels to rise.

Rising sea levels are already inundating coastal marshes and other coastal habitats important to fish and waterfowl.

The International Panel on Climate Change projects a 7-23 inch sea level rise this century, which would inundate a large portion of US coasts.

Many coastal fish and wildlife depend on a certain level of salinity in water. They have adapted to a delicate balance between fresh and salt water.

If freshwater areas are flooded with too much salt water, the plants and wildlife may not survive.

One critical and vulnerable habitat is mangrove swamps.

Next, global warming can affect the food sources of wildlife.

For example, the Adelie penguins in Antarctica do not have enough krill shrimp to eat. As Antarctic sea ice melts, it changes the water quality, making it less conducive to krill.

Global warming impacts the food sources of migrating birds. Birds time their migrations to when plants bloom or insects hatch. That way they can eat along the way and also have food when they arrive.

But birds may migrate in spring only to find that the insects, plants, or other foods they eat are not available. Caterpillars may hatch before the leaves of their food plants are present. Pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees may arrive either too early or too late to feed on the flowers on which they normally rely.

Connections between pollinators, breeding birds, insects, and other wildlife and the plants on which they depend will become disrupted.

Some birds are not migrating as far south in the fall because they are finding warm enough locations part-way through their trip.

For example, the rufous hummingbird used to winter mostly in Mexico, but now is increasingly seen in the Gulf Coast states.

Some birds are starting their breeding season earlier, like the Mexican jay or the prothonotary warbler. Both now start many days earlier.

This puts nestlings in danger. It’s a delicate timing when they hatch and when their food sources are available. Global warming can also make it more difficult for wildlife to raise their young.

In the central US, there is an area called the Prairie Pothole region. The wetlands here are small and seasonal. Some call it a “duck factory” because so many ducks migrate through it. But global warming has the potential to eliminate up to 91 percent of the wetlands in the region. This will dramatically impact many species of ducks and geese.

In some areas, global warming is going to increase the frequency and intensity of storms.

This is impacting the fragile Mexican cloud forests where monarch butterflies migrate each year. They are adapted to live in very specific trees each winter, and increased rain is making it unsuitable for monarchs.

Global warming is impacting species which raise their young on sea ice.

For example, walrus mothers put their calves on sea ice. They then dive down to feed on the ocean floor. The natural movement of the sea ice normally ensures walruses do not deplete one area of food. When they put their young on land, they destroy their food sources in that area.

Global warming has depleted the sea ice habitat of walruses so much that they are crowding together in a very unhealthy manner.

In one case in December 2007, 3,000 were killed in a stampede on the Russian side of the Bering Strait. Walruses are known to spook and many young walruses were killed.

Walruses, like all species, need enough space to raise their young, and global warming is taking that away.

It can also be difficult for wildlife to raise their young in a healthy habitat when invasive species crowd out native food sources.

Higher average temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns will enable some of the most problematic species, including kudzu, garlic mustard, purple loosestrife and Japanese honeysuckle to move into new areas.

Many wildlife species depend on specific plants as a location for raising their young.

Global warming will contribute to more severe infestations and habitat damage from both native and exotic insect pests, including black vine weevil, gypsy moth, bagworm and mountain pine beetle.

Drought-stricken plants are also more susceptible to diseases.

In the search for places to raise their young, some wildlife species move north seeking cooler temperatures. But this is not an option for some because they are cut off from moving north due to development. These are called “fragmented habitats.”

For example, San Joaquin kit fox has been impacted by highways, agriculture and oil and gas exploration. It is difficult for it to move elsewhere.

It is clear that global warming is the single biggest threat to wildlife today.

To survive, wildlife needs

Global warming is impacting all these needs.

For some species, it is too late.

Scientists say that the first species that went extinct due to global warming was the golden toad. They disappeared from their only known habitat, Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest.

But there is hope. We can do our part to help many wildlife species survive global warming.

We can make a difference in our daily choices. Scientists suggest that if we reduce our emissions by 80% in the next 40 years, it is the best plan for protecting people and wildlife. Reducing energy use by 2% per year is an achievable goal.

Choosing energy efficient appliances is a great way to reduce your energy use.

For more energy-saving ideas, take National Wildlife Federation's Good Neighbor pledge.

National Wildlife Federation calls upon Congress to pass effective climate legislation that protects America’s natural resources and helps wildlife survive.

You can also help wildlife by certifying your yard with the National Wildlife Federation, providing habitat for species under pressure.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change." —Charles Darwin (1835)