Migratory species and climate change: impacts of a changing environment on wild animals

In addition, biodiversity plays a direct role in climate regulation. Biodiversity affects the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to capture atmospheric carbon, their rates of evapotranspiration and temperature, all of which affect climate at local and global levels. Biodiversity affects atmospheric carbon sequestration primarily through its effects on species’ characteristics, which determine how much carbon is taken up from the atmosphere, how much will be retained or fixed, and how much of this carbon will be released back into the atmosphere over time. The appropriate choice of species is potentially critical for maximizing carbon sequestration in the design and implementation of Climate Change mitigation activities.