C9 Life on Earth PC9.7 How can climate change affect species?

C9 How can climate change affect species? How can climate change affect a species? Scientists are worried that climate change could cause the extinction of a million species. This activity will show you some examples of these changes. They think that human activity is causing these extinctions.

How can climate change affect a species? Click for QUIZ C9 How can climate change affect species? Click on each photo and scan the websites. Then answer the questions in the quiz. Next go back to one of the animals and read it more carefully. You may have time to look again at more than one of them.

Monarch butterflies These North American butterflies migrate southwards to a forest in Mexico for the winter. Increasing rainfall in the forest is making it less suitable for them. C9 How can climate change affect species?

Scottish crossbill These small birds live only in Scotland. Increasing temperature could wipe out their pine forest habitat. Conditions might become right for them in Iceland - but it is too far away. C9 How can climate change affect species?

Polar bears Polar bears feed mainly on seals. They catch seals as they come up to breathe at air holes in the ice. Because of warmer summers the sea ice in the Arctic breaks up earlier in the year. So the bears have a shorter feeding season. Back on land they often make a nuisance of themselves looking for food in human settlements.

C9 How can climate change affect species? Quiz questions 1. Without greenhouse gases, the earth would be very cold. True or false? 2. Monarch butterflies feed on milkweed. Milkweed doesn’t grow in Mexico. Why do the butterflies go to Mexico? 3. How do you think monarch butterflies find their way? 4. Why don’t polar bears feed on penguins? 5. Why have polar bears started going to town? 6. A man meets a polar bear in the street. Should he stand still or run away? Back to the beginning Answers

C9 How can climate change affect species? Quiz answers 1. True. 2. Winters are too cold in North America east of the Rockies. 3. Partly using the Sun - but other factors are also involved. 4. Penguins live in the southern hemisphere, polar bears in the northern. 5. To find food. 6. Stand still (if you can!).