Final answer:
Numerous species are moving polewards in response to climate change, with documented range shifts in birds plants insects, and other animals. Human-altered landscapes pose difficulties for species movement, potentially leading to substantial extinctions. The IPCC projects more severe climate impacts in the future exacerbating species distribution shifts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Studies show that numerous species are moving polewards in response to climate change. Ranges shifts are being observed across various species; for instance European bird species have moved northward on average 91 km. However, based on warming trends, the optimal shift for these species would be double that distance, indicating that not all populations are keeping pace with climate change. Similarly changes in distribution have been recorded in plants, butterflies, other insects freshwater fishes, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. The landscapes have been highly altered by human activities, creating obstacles for dispersing organisms and leading to substantial extinction if these landscapes remain in their current condition.
There's also a concern that ecosystems as we understand them will disassemble as species move individually, forming new ecosystems that are unpredictable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts an increase in global mean temperature and more severe weather conditions, which will further impact species distributions, pushing them towards the poles.