What is a key consequence of climate change on biodiversity?

The reduction of species’ adaptability and an increase in extinction rates are significant consequences of climate change on biodiversity. As the climate continues to change, many species struggle to adapt to rapidly shifting environmental conditions, such as temperature changes, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. These stressors can lead to habitat loss, which diminishes the available resources that species need to survive and thrive.

With heightened challenges to their habitats and lifestyles, certain species may find it increasingly difficult to adapt quickly enough to survive. This situation often leads to decreased population sizes and, in the most vulnerable cases, extinction. The delicate balance of ecosystems is disrupted, which not only affects individual species but also the interdependent relationships within ecosystems. As certain species decline or disappear, this can trigger further ecological changes and cascading effects that impact overall biodiversity.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent the relationship between climate change and biodiversity. Ecosystems are generally becoming less stable under climate change, habitats are being lost rather than expanded, and there are observable effects on biodiversity, contrary to the specific claims of those options.