Where have all the species gone? Understanding climate change’s toll on nature

In the 20th century alone, animals have disappeared at a rate of 30 to 120 times that of any other point in the last 66 million years. The main driver of biodiversity loss is land conversion, mostly from forest or prairie or wetland to agriculture – humans have already altered 70% of land on Earth not covered by ice. Humans have also polluted and allowed invasive species to spread in ways otherwise impossible. Recognizing this driver means we already know one solution: Protect land in a range of ways, from creating nature preserves to establishing policies to stop deforestation.

But now climate change is amplifying an already precarious situation. And that complicates the solution, too.

James Arnott is Executive Director of the Aspen Global Change Institute. Kaitlin Sullivan is a freelance journalist. She covers health, science, and the environment.