The major causes of extinction and biodiversity loss are being ignored when people consider recent climate change as a major cause. I am not aware of a strong link thus far. It's speculation on possible future trends that are more of interest. That's mostly based on modelling, and the results are highly variable and tenuous imo. Of course interpretation of the various papers depends on the degree and rate of climate change you consider likely...
Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity - Bellard - 2012 - Ecology Letters - Wiley Online Library
I would say that small shifts in climate change moving forward could cause a greater number of extinctions than in the past because so many species are currently in danger of extinction from other human activities, primarily ones that reduce the amount of natural habitat or fragment it. Species cannot as easily shift geographically if the new areas which suit them climatically can no longer develop into their habitat if they are occupied by cities and agricultural land. This was probably a major factor in species successful attempts to adapt to past climate change. Our attempts to preserve biodiversity by protecting small remaining pockets of habitat may be foiled in the long term by climate change, no matter its root source.
Extinction is a tricky business, and biodiversity loss is not be caused just at the species level. In the future such loss may be linked to climate change, but the primary cause may often be other human activities, a combination of factors are normally at play.
Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity - Bellard - 2012 - Ecology Letters - Wiley Online Library
I would say that small shifts in climate change moving forward could cause a greater number of extinctions than in the past because so many species are currently in danger of extinction from other human activities, primarily ones that reduce the amount of natural habitat or fragment it. Species cannot as easily shift geographically if the new areas which suit them climatically can no longer develop into their habitat if they are occupied by cities and agricultural land. This was probably a major factor in species successful attempts to adapt to past climate change. Our attempts to preserve biodiversity by protecting small remaining pockets of habitat may be foiled in the long term by climate change, no matter its root source.
Extinction is a tricky business, and biodiversity loss is not be caused just at the species level. In the future such loss may be linked to climate change, but the primary cause may often be other human activities, a combination of factors are normally at play.
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