Climate Change and Its
Effects on Biodiversity: A
Critical Review of Recent
Research
This paper synthesizes findings from four significant peer-
reviewed studies exploring the systemic impacts of climate
change on biodiversity. Through a comparative lens, the review
highlights how rising global temperatures, disrupted ecological
networks, and anthropogenic pressures are precipitating a multi-
scalar biodiversity crisis — one that spans from gene-level
perturbations to biome-scale shifts. The literature reviewed
stresses empirical data and predictive modeling alike in
collectively supporting the idea that existing mitigation
structures are inadequate to counter the velocity and complexity
of biospheric destabilization.
Introduction
Unprecedented Climatic Biodiversity Under Threat
Change
Biodiversity — not just by species
The Anthropocene is marked by richness, but by functional,
historically unprecedented genetic, and ecosystem-level
climatic change that imposes interactions among organisms —
extreme pressures on Earth's is progressively undermined by
biota. climatic anomalies.
Climate as Force Multiplier
Although habitat fragmentation, overexploitation, and invasive species
have traditionally been the drivers of extinction, climate change is a
pervasive force multiplier.
This review critically appraises the conclusions of four seminal research
papers, each providing a different view on how climate perturbations threaten
global biodiversity.
Rasoulinezhad & Saboori (2021)
115 3
Countries Climate Variables
Analyzed in the econometric meta-analysis Temperature anomalies, precipitation volatility, natural
disaster frequency
Does climate change exacerbate biodiversity loss? Evidence from a global panel data analysis
Journal: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
This 115-country econometric meta-analysis empirically measures the positive relationship between climate-related
variables (temperature anomalies, volatility of precipitation, and frequency of natural disasters) and biodiversity loss.
Notably, it provides a socio-political dimension — illustrating that institutional resilience (environmental governance,
regulatory institutions) can slow down the path of ecological degradation.
Insight: Biodiversity loss is not just an ecological effect but is mediated by anthropogenic governance systems, implying the
necessity of integrated climate-biodiversity policy frameworks.
Thuiller et al. (2008)
IPCC Climate Scenarios
Applied across species distribution models
Endemic Vegetation
Predicted extreme range reductions, especially in biodiversity hotspots
Niche Modeling Constraints
Highlighted limitations under new climate conditions with no analogues for present-day ecosystems
Adaptation Challenges
Numerous species lack the dispersal speed or plasticity to adjust in time
Predicting global change impacts on plant species' distributions: Future challenges
Journal: Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics
Insight: The slowness in ecological response processes, coupled with climate velocity exceeding species' adaptive rates, predicts global
functional extinction and trophic decoupling.
Scheffers et al. (2016)
Biome-Scale Redistribution
Highest level of biological organization affected
Ecosystem Disruption
Changes in community structure and function
Species-Level Impacts
Range shifts and phenological mismatches
Genomic Responses
Fundamental biological changes at genetic level
The large footprint of climate change from genes to biomes to people
Journal: Science
Scheffers et al. meta-synthesized more than 100 empirical studies to illustrate the cascading effects of climate change across all levels of biological organization. From
genomic responses and phenological mismatches through to biome-scale redistribution, the article weaves a synoptic account of destabilization in the biosphere. In
addition, it relates degradation in the biosphere to human-centered consequences — such as food insecurity, zoonotic spillovers, and erosion of culture.
Insight: The authors redefine biodiversity loss not as a solo environmental problem but as a transdisciplinary crisis involving feedback loops threatening global socio-
ecological stability.
Carstens & Knowles (2007)
Climate Change Habitat Fragmentation
Creates environmental pressures Isolates populations
Genetic Bottlenecks Speciation Failure
Reduces genetic diversity Leads to extinction risk
Estimating species phylogenies from gene‐tree probabilities despite incomplete lineage sorting
Journal: Systematic Biology
While the work of this research was chiefly centered on methodological innovations in phylogenetics, the research indirectly enriches biodiversity-climate discourse
through its ability to illustrate how pressures from the environment — more so habitat fragmentation by climatic change — create bottlenecks for populations, loss of
genetic diversity, and speciation failure. Their research was subsequently used in research that simulated climate-caused range fragmentation and its effect on genomic
integrity of endangered taxa.
Insight: Genetic erosion, frequently a harbinger of extinction, is hastened by climatic fragmentation, emphasizing the necessity to conserve not merely species, but their
evolutionary potential.
Synthesis of Research Findings
Rasoulinezhad & Thuiller et al. (2008) Scheffers et al. Carstens &
Saboori (2021) (2016) Knowles (2007)
Highlights ecological
Clarifies macro-level forecasting limitations Demonstrates systemic Points out molecular-
institutional weaknesses under novel climate interrelatedness across level implications of
in addressing conditions biological organization climate-driven habitat
biodiversity loss levels fragmentation
Demonstrates the
Emphasizes the role of mismatch between Connects biodiversity Emphasizes the
governance systems in climate velocity and loss to human importance of
mediating ecological species adaptation rates consequences like food conserving evolutionary
degradation insecurity potential
The discussed studies agree on a single fact: climate change is both an impetus and an amplifier of biodiversity
loss, working on spatial (local to global), temporal (present to future), and biological (genome to biome) scales.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Biodiversity Loss
Ecological Thresholds
Points where small changes cause large ecosystem shifts
Feedback Loops
Self-reinforcing cycles of decline
Tipping Points
Critical transitions to alternative ecosystem states
Together, these publications emphasize that climate-driven biodiversity loss is not linear but rather emergent and
nonlinear — underpinned by thresholds, feedbacks, and tipping points. Furthermore, biodiversity loss itself degrades
ecosystem services essential for climate regulation, establishing a self-reinforcing cycle of decline.
Conclusion
Unraveling Biosphere
Contemporary climate change is unraveling the biosphere at multiple
levels of complexity.
Transforming Biodiversity
This review reveals that biodiversity is not merely declining — it is
transforming in unpredictable ways.
Paradigmatic Shift Required
Addressing this crisis requires more than conservation; it necessitates a
paradigmatic shift toward anticipatory, systemic, and interdisciplinary
climate-biodiversity governance.
Earth's Biotic Legacy
The future of Earth's biotic legacy hinges not only on carbon reduction,
but on our ability to foster evolutionary and ecological resilience in a
rapidly warming world.
References
Rasoulinezhad, E., & Saboori, Does climate change Environmental Science and https://doi.org/10.1007/s113
T. (2021) exacerbate biodiversity loss? Pollution Research 56-021-14714-3
Evidence from a global panel
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L. L. (2007) phylogenies from gene‐tree 400–411 10.1080/1063515070140556
probabilities despite 0
incomplete lineage sorting
