Temperature is a determinant factor for species' distribution, it affects them at their life cycle and changes their survival skills and development. Therefore, if temperature changes: Everything is affected.
Beyond the increased rate of hurricanes and cyclones forming, we can observe all around the world how is temperature changing affecting the biology and physiology on several species. To deny a climate change, is not only a huge mistake, it is pure ignorance about the ecologic reality your planet is passing by.
Climate has changed through history, but now it is different.
Climate, in our planet, is naturally shifting and changing, our planet has had ice ages and "hot ages".
Today, we are experiencing, yet another, climate change that consists in an increase of temperature all around the globe (AKA: Global Warming). Yes, it would've happened sooner or later, but this time it is not only natural factors that induce the result: Anthropological influence is the one that holds most of the responsibility now. Human activity hurted our planet a lot, mainly fossil fuel usage and burning of green spaces for agricultural purposes.
How much does temperature change affect life?
Vital processes in organisms are affected by the environment, especially when the body temperature depends on it. Thermal regulation es a process living thing have to ensure their survival in their environment, and thanks to natural selection the species not well adapted vanished: We are forcing evolution giving too little time to nature to react.
Animals with a relatively high and constant body temperature are called homeothermal, (mammals, birds), the so called "hot blooded".
Those which body temperature varies according to their surrounding are the poikilothermal ectothermal or "cold blooded" (invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles). For the latter ones, their metabolism is heavily influenced by the external environmental conditions, particularly: Temperature.
Reptiles and arthropods are particularly vulnerable to this global warming. In a majority of cases, their tolerance levels are not very wide.
How is climate change affecting species?
As mentioned before, climate affect the distribution of species and colonization processes. The details on them varies from species to species, but generally speaking, it is ruled by 3 main factors:
• Colder winters, affect survival
• Hotter summers, affect reproduction.
• Plagues direct influence, disease and inter-specific competition for resources between different species (animals are forced to eat what they normally wouldn't).
Hybrids?
The rise of temperature is even affecting reproduction. Global warming brought together species that were distanced millions of years ago, allowing them to breed bringing hybrids to the scene, this is, descendant product of inter-species breeding (by sexual reproduction)."So what?", you may think. Well, hybrids cannot reproduce naturally, leaving fertile descendants. Animals waste resources ans their lifetime leaving a "dead family" for a near future.
The process of new species' forming is called speciation, it is generally given by processes that are known and studied. In many cases, individuals separate from the gross of the population, leading them to adapt differently from the main "family tree". Reverting that process by bringing them back together is counterproductive, leading into barren offsprings.
Natural hybrids are relatively common among plants and animal species with a rather recent divergence, but not among species that are too far away from each other, evolutivelly speaking. 25% of plants and 10% of animals undergo a hybridization process. A known example is the mule.
It is clear: Climate change is here and it is affecting biodiversity. To deny it, is just a matter of how stupid a person is.