Climate change risk for half of plant and animal species in biodiversity hotspots

Up to half of plant and animal species in the world’s most naturally rich areas, such as the Amazon and the Galapagos, could face local extinction by the turn of the century due to climate change if carbon emissions continue to rise unchecked. Even if the Paris Climate Agreement 2°C target is met, these places could lose 25 percent of their species. Researchers examined the impact of climate change on nearly 80,000 plant and animal species in 35 areas.