The affects of climate change aren't going to be restricted to humans. The possible dangers for plants and animals throughout the world are a great concern to environmentalists. Birds, fish, and land-based animals are all going to be under threat as their habitats and climate alter. Plants, trees and shrubs are also going to have to adapt.

According to the World Wildlife Fund climate change, as a result of human activity, has already claimed its first victim. The Golden Toad of Costa Rica is thought to be extinct as a result of global warming.

Species are under threat in more than one way. Climate change is predicted to cause a number of weather extremes which could directly affect our wildlife, for example through flooding or storms.

However, the biggest concern is how the changes in weather will affect the habitats in which species live. Less snow in winter, warmer temperatures in summer and more winter rain will affect wildlife across the board. Sea level rises will reduce land area in some countries, which will instantly affect vegetation which is currently used for homes and food by animals.

Arctic and antarctic species

Around the world, the most seriously affected areas for wildlife, will most likely be in the Arctic and in Antarctica, where warmer temperatures could affect ice cover. Species, such as the Polar Bear rely on ice and if it reclines their ability to hunt will be affected. Their main food source are seals, who also rely on the ice (for rearing their young), so the melting of the ice will affect them as well.

Other animals which are affected include walruses, sea lions, penguins, some sea birds and plankton. Plankton forms the beginning of the marine food chain, so any changes to its survival could have a knock on effect to a whole range of other species.

Further threats

One of the main concerns with species shifting from where they are now is that if climate change occurs very quickly, some wildlife may not be able to adapt and move quick enough and so may not survive. Beech woodlands are one of those threatened. With dryer conditions forecast for the south, beech trees will struggle to survive.

Animals, such as birds and butterflies should survive as they are capable and used to migrating, but for plants, the situation isn't the same. But even for the animals, once they have moved they need to find food and habitats which are suitable to their needs, but if plant species haven't been able to move, their food sources could affect their survival.

So, in fact global warming will affect the whole chain of wildlife existence.

Positive changes

Not all change is bad, however. As we lose some species, others will arrive, many of which are welcome. Birds like the Little Egret are now seen frequently, since their arrival around 20 years ago. The Cetti's Warbler are also now seen and the Nuthatch, Serin, Lesser Blackbacked Gull and Dartfod Warbler have started moving northwards too.

The World Wildlife Fund, as well as many other environmental organisations, are concerned about the impacts of climate change on wildlife, however they don't believe it's too late.

Programme Leader for climate change at WWF, Dr Ute Collier, says:

'if it were too late, we'd just work on adaptation. And we do some of that - we look at how we can make habitats more resilient, how can you extend protected areas, so that species could move. But we still believe that if we act now, if we address emissions now, we can avoid the worst case scenarios in the future.'

Species have, of course, adapted to changes to their climates before (such as during the Ice Age), but it is believed they need a longer period of time to adapt to change than humans.