IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON

BIODIVERSITY

WITH EMPHASIS ON WILDLIFE

(Plants and Animals)

Presented at Baobab Holiday Resort Bijilo

19th December 2011

Ousainou Touray, ML Kassama and Kawsu Jammeh, DPWM

OUTLINE

Definition of key terms

Direct impacts on wildlife species

Potential mitigation of climate change impacts on biodiversity

Introduction:

impacts of climate

Climate change and biodiversity- general perspective

conclusion

ECOSYSTEM: An ecosystem can be defined as a community of plant and animal species and the physical environment that they occupy.

BIODIVERSITY: In ecological term refers to "totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a particular region or locality

SPECIES: A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring

Introduction and Definition of Key Terms

Forest regeneration rates are expected to decline with rising temperature and erratic rainfall

productivity of mangrove ecosystem is expected to be impaired due to changes in rainfall pattern thus resulting into decline in the population of manatees, cape clawless otters for example

Increase possibility for coastal erosion

Climate change is a multiple hazard with impacts at different temporal and spatial scales. Natural systems subject to change also have different sensitivity and vulnerability

Sea level rise is expected to have substantial negative impact on marine and coastal ecosystems

Each species would respond according to

its climate tolerance

its ability to disperse into new locations,

Its ability to alter its phenology

(e.g. breeding dates),

or its ability to adapt to shifting food sources.

Impacts of climate change on biodiversity-general perspective

Climate change would drive biodiversity loss, affecting both species and ecosystems.

Marine ecosystems will be affected

by an increase in sea temperature and changes in ocean circulation,

by ocean acidification, as the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide (carbonic acid) rises.

This is expected to negatively affect shell forming organisms, oysters, clams and their dependent ecosystems

Habitat modification resulting from climate change would put the population of Nile crocodiles and African Rock pythons at great risk

Terrestrial wildlife are expected to face

fodder shortage or degradation in quality,

lose of weight or tendency towards smaller body size.

Increasing temperatures acting through changes in population structure have potentially devastating impact on ectodermic vertebrates and could led to extinction,

increase pest population, inter and intra competition for food and

limiting reproductive success in species

Impacts on Wildlife-Animals

Migratory Birds, and the Impacts of Climate Change

Breeding Range ShiftsIs well known that species range depends on temperature and many species of birds have shifted their breeding range polewards E.G. Little egret

Changes in the timing of biological eventsIncreasing number of migratory birds are opting to capitalized on milder condition in Europe, e.g. Greenshank, a normally long-distant migrant to Africa is now over wintering in Mediterranean in large numbers

Mistiming of biological events E.G. BREEDINGEvidence suggest that shift in timing of biological event has resulted in mistiming with respect to the availability of resources such as food. The survival of Golden Plover for example depend on the availability of tipulid larvae on which they feed.

Sea level rise

Sea level rise may flood nest of birds breeding on low-lying coastal areas e.g. Terns

Changes in rainfall

Water birds are particularly vulnerable to changes in rainfall because of their dependence on wetlands.

Population impacts

Extreme temperature and rainfall tend to lower the survival and productivity of water birds. Cold temperature can cause mortality in chick while high temperature can cause heat strain and death

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY

• Species retreat

• Habitat destruction

• Salinization and acidification

• Coastal erosion

• Ground water shortage

• Biodiversity loss

• Unfavourable stopover for migratory birds

• Mangrove dieback

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY

• The extent of life are dependent to the relative stable climatic condition of the Gambia

• Among the various ecosystem types, Gallery Forest, Dry woodlands, Wetlands, River and Estuaries ,etc. shelter diverse animal populations such as small& large mammals, reptiles, birds and fish which co-habits with plant species that serves as food, medicine and timber.

CONCLUSION

• On the assumption of a rise in climatic temperatures, a number of changes in ecosystem distribution would affect richness in biodiversity, especially animals with small populations and the migratory bird species with particular reproductive and behavioural patterns.

CONCLUSION contd.

• Such a situation may reflect on the a biotic conditions of ecosystems which affects biotic conditions of ecosystems.

• Examples of modelling using Habitat Suitability Index(HSI) have shown that the suitability of habitats for Dwarf crocodiles and Osprey species in the Gambia is highly reduced.

• Degraded ecosystems jeopardise the millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty, hunger and disease.

• Better adaptive strategies and capacities are key to communities ability to successfully cope with climate change in these ecosystems

THANK YOU AND HELP SAVE BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

IN THE GAMBIA