Global warming Induced Stress and its Impact on Biodiversity

Abstract

Biodiversity provides numerous ecologically essential services. It includes increase in ecosystem productivity, promotion of formation and protection of soil, improvement of nutrient storage and recycling, helps in breaking down pollutants, climate stability, more food resources, faster recovery from natural disasters, etc. At least 40 % of the world’s economy is derived directly from biological resources. However, biodiversity is going to decline both qualitatively and quantitatively in future due to multiple anthropogenic and few natural pressures. Among these pressures, global warming has severely affected the ecosystem and the biodiversity associated with it. The IUCN predicted that 4161 species are being threatened by climate change. The current velocity and magnitude of climate change trends leading to increased extinction rates. Global warming is being one of the causes affecting biodiversity differently across various regions globally. Under this COVID-19 pandemic condition, the environmental restoration process is also going on as most of the nations followed complete or partial lockdown as preventive measure from the spread of COVID-19. In addition to air pollution, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have also dropped throughout the world during the lockdown period. It gives us a chance to learn more about the human impact on the environment. The effect of nationwide lockdown on the environment may not be clearly understood due to a short duration, and it may be temporary. However, governments and individuals should learn from this lockdown on how to reduce pollution on a long-term basis. Even 2-3 days complete worldwide lockdown per year in the future may help to restore the environment.