Around 65 per cent of Antarctic animals and plants could decline by the end of the century if conservation efforts aren’t ratcheted up
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. Species expected to undergo the steepest population drops are emperor penguins, Adélie penguins, chinstrap penguins and soil nematodes.at the British Antarctic Survey and her colleagues compiled scientific data to pinpoint which of the Antarctic’s wildlife will be most at risk under moderate and severe warming scenarios.
Under current management strategies and moderate warming, the team found 65 per cent of land plants and animals will decline by the end of the century. If warming is limited to below 2°C by 2100, the estimate drops to 31 per cent. “Everyone tends to think of Antarctica as this remote and untouched wilderness that’s free of these threats that are facing the rest of the world,” says Lee, but the results suggest otherwise.
Finally, the 29 experts collectively identified 10 key steps to reduce the most severe damage at an annual cost of $23 million – excluding the cost of addressing climate change – that could benefit up to 84 per cent of plants and animals. The most promising solutions were increasing habitat protection for vulnerable species, managing the spread of disease and reducing the introduction of invasive species.
Despite the challenges facing emperor penguins, Lee says this doesn’t mean the species is fated for certain extinction. “I hope we can mitigate climate change enough that that’s not the kind of future we will see,” she says.
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