This is part of a series on the effects of climate change.
How is climate change driving biodiversity loss?
On land, warmer temperatures force certain species to move to higher latitudes, while extreme weather events (such as floods, storms, hurricanes, and wildfires), and sea level rise invade the habitats of others. Species that cannot relocate or adapt to the new conditions face extinction. For example, it is estimated that four percent of terrestrial and 13 percent of marine species would be at high risk of extinction in biodiversity hotspots for a warming scenario between 1.5 and two degrees Celsius. For warming above three degrees Celsius, these shares would rise to 20 and 32 percent, respectively.In marine ecosystems, climate change has driven an increase in the average ocean surface temperature. In addition, the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere increases the water’s acidity. Marine ecosystems are extremely sensitive to even seemingly small variations in water conditions, with drastic outcomes expected. It is forecast that in a warming scenario of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 99 percent of coral reefs worldwide will vanish. As of 2022, the global temperature had increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.