Climate change has already caused some species to go extinct, and is likely to drive more species to extinction. Species have always gone extinct in the history of our planet but human activities causing climate change are accelerating this process. Recent research predicts that one-third of all plant and animal species could be extinct by 2070 if climate change continues as it is.
Species can adapt to some extent to these rapidly changing climate patterns. We are seeing changes in behavior, like dispersal to new areas where the climate becomes more suitable. About half of the globally assessed species are moving towards earth's poles and - if the species life on land - to higher elevations.
To be able to do so, they need connected ecologically appropriate locations - free of human settlement - to move through. Nevertheless, those protected areas and migration corridors are not enough because species cannot adapt beyond their basic climate tolerance. Survival through migration is thus not guaranteed.
