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Hottest year in recorded history compounds global biodiversity risks

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: As climate change accelerates, effectively monitoring and managing the growing impacts on biodiversity is an urgent priority. Here, we identify the exposure of species to unprecedented heat to evaluate the potential impact of 2024-the hottest year on record-across >33,000 vertebrate species worldwide. One in six (5,368) species were exposed to unprecedented temperatures across >25% of their range-68% more species than in 2023. Most (81%) species exposed in 2023 were also exposed in 2024, potentially compounding risks. For the first time, widespread species were exposed to extreme temperatures across >10% of their ranges. We propose using these exposure estimates to inform monitoring and mitigation efforts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2504945122
Authors: Cory Merow, Brian S. Maitner, Andreas Schwarz Meyer, Alex L. Pigot, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Mark C. Urban
Institutions: University of Connecticut, University of South Florida, University of Cape Town, University College London, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Institut Botànic de Barcelona, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: Collaborative Research: BoCP-Implementation: BioFI- Biodiversity Forecasting Initiative to Understand Population, Community and Ecosystem Function Under Global Change, G1720323440, G3480869486, BII: Evolving Meta-Ecosystems in the Arctic, G5239107149, G7084143925
OpenAlex ID: W4413565234
FWCI: 13.7
Cites: 16
Cited by: 7
Related to: 10