Two American researchers published on Wednesday a study according to which a third of the species of plants and animals could disappear by 2070. Scientists analyzed a lot of data from studies on animal movements but also on recent extinctions and climate projections, reports an article from the University of Arizona relayed by Slate .
The Paris agreement, the only solution to limit the damage
In total, the researchers worked on 538 species present in 581 natural environments. After analyzing surveys carried out 10 years apart, they were able to observe that 44% of these species had already disappeared in one of their natural environments. Many species can tolerate temperature increases, but only up to a point. Beyond an increase of 2.9 ° C, 95% of the species would disappear.
"If we stick to the Paris agreement to fight climate change, we could lose less than two species of plants and animals in ten," said John Wiens, co-author of the study. "But if humans cause greater temperature increases, we could lose more than a third, if not half, of all of these species. "
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