Global warming affects nearly half of all terrestrial mammals and endangered a quarter of birds, far more than previously thought, according to a study.
Primates and elephants are among the most affected species, mainly because they reproduce slowly and adapt slowly to rapid environmental changes, notes the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
According to the research, co-produced by the University of Queensland (Australia), damages are already palpable for a large number of species.
“The impact of climate change on mammals and other animals is currently underestimated,” say researchers, who have used data from 136 studies on 120 species of mammals and 569 species of birds.
Scientists have mainly analyzed the demographic curves, breeding rates, geographical areas and climatic evolutions, extending their conclusions to threatened species, according to the categories from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Of the 873 mammal species on the list, 414 (47%) show a negative response to the evolution of global warming. For birds, the proportion is 23.4% (298 species).
Climate change can affect animals by limiting their access to water or food, thus spreading diseases or reducing habitats.
By the end of 2015, 195 countries adopted the Paris agreements to put the global warming limit below 2°C, compared to the Industrial Revolution. But for scientists, this threshold is still very high and the commitments made by nations are still insufficient.