Extreme climate conditions and loss of faunal biodiversity in the rainforest zone of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15623090Keywords:
Climate change impact, Biodiversity, Human Impact, Species extinction, Environmental conservationAbstract
Based on Scientific Consensus (NASA, 2022), it is no longer a debate that the climate has changed, is changing, and will continue to change. One of the most conspicuous aspects of contemporary global change is the rapid decline of biodiversity in many ecosystems. This research focuses on the effect of climate change on biodiversity in the Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State. It further identified the amount of temperature, sunshine, relative humidity, and rainfall; determining the occurrence of animal species; examining existing interrelationships among the animal species and the climatic elements; and establishing a projection pattern of animal life in the study area. The required data for the study are rainfall amount, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, and sunshine hours between 1988 and 2023. Both descriptive (charts, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Time Series Analysis, Regression, and Correlation Analysis) were used for data analysis. The results show that the grasscutter (0.716) and Bush rat (0.648) have a strong positive relationship with relative humility, while there are negative relationships between grasscutter (-0.578, antelope (-0.569), bush rat (-0.588), and rabbit (-0.563) with sunshine, respectively. Changes in climate over the past 30 years have resulted in a significant decrease in the occurrence of the animal species in the study area. It was further projected that the current trend of temperature (33.60C), and with its negative relationships with animals (-0.492, -0.442, -0.453, -0.339 and -0.429), it is possible that animal species would be in extinction as a result of further and more complex changes in climate in years to come. The study concludes that various activities such as felling of trees and urbanization, to mention but a few, result in the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn increases the temperature of the Earth's surface. This increased temperature is, however, detrimental to animal survival, as well as to human health. The study, however, recommends that residents of the study area and every other related environment be educated on the importance of environmental conservation,restoration projects, sustainability practices, and community engagement.
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