Much like us, flora and fauna are not supposed to exist in isolation. Plants and animals have roles in their respective ecosystems and interact with each other, informing bionetworks of interactions. A biodiverse environment, full of interactions, leads to a more productive ecosystem, providing a wealth of ecosystem services and co-benefits such as air regulation, water filtration and soil health.

The rate that we are losing species across the world is highly debated, some suggest 0.01-0.1% of species are lost every year but the number of species going extinct depends on the actual number of species present. 2 million species have been scientifically identified, meaning losses of  200-2000, yet other estimates indicate we coexist with 100 million species and most of which have not been identified, meaning losses of 10,000-100,000 of species per year (WWF 2020). However, we do know that “the drivers behind species loss are increasing” as stated by Braulio Dias, a previous Executive Secretary of the Convention of Biological Diversity, who cited climate change as one of the main drivers of this, alongside pollution and land conversion and degradation, the latter of which inspires biodiversity loss.

The interaction between climate and biodiversity is relatively simple; climate change leads to species loss through changing the environment. This can occur through climate shocks but also through changing weather conditions and precipitation patterns, rising temperatures and changing water levels alongside other conditions. This may cause species migration to more optimal conditions or risks extinction for those unable to adapt or move. Losing these species will create a less productive environment, reducing and diminishing ecosystem services and co-benefits. 

Biodiversity secondarily impacts water security and food security as losing key species will reduce the impact of ecosystem services such as soil health and water filtration. On land, this will mean soils are not as fertile and may produce lower yields of crops. In the sea, this means pollution will not be filtered out as easily, giving rise to disease and infection.

This has consequences on food security for agriculture and aquaculture sectors. A loss in biodiversity gives the fishing sector less options for produce. As more fish become endangered, legislation will emerge protecting some of these species, preventing or limiting their harvest. But, this leaves the sector too reliant on too few species, exposing the sector’s vulnerability to reduced biodiversity. 

Losing key floral species will also feed back into and catalyse the effect of climate change as fewer plants will be able to readily absorb and sequester carbon, giving rise to more atmospheric carbon and further raising global temperatures.