Extinction is entering the conversations in climate change. Hundreds of
plants and animals have disappeared in the last decades. As the
disturbances; fire, flood, drought, pest, and disease increase, the
cascade of collapse will descend across all trophic levels. Key
predators to prey will be lost as the resources are depleted. There will
be short lived but large increases in some species followed by steep
declines as the population consumes all resources made available. There
is hope that a balance can be found, but the continued disturbance and
erratic environmental conditions will make it difficult for any species,
plant or animal, to achieve a stable state of resource balance. Stress
will ultimately reduce the long-term viability of many ecological
communities. Ecological services provided to humans will be greatly affected. Commonly assumed stages of seasonal growth, pest management, and pollination will be in chaos as disrupted patterns demand new practices in a forever changing world.
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