"This engine is grinding to a halt" - Nature slowing down as climate change gains pace

[OKIsItJustMe]

Last edited Wed Feb 11, 2026, 03:25 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1115822

New research from Queen Mary University of London shows nature’s renewal has “significantly” slowed down with rising temperatures, against expectation

Peer-Reviewed Publication
Queen Mary University of London

LONDON — Many ecologists hypothesise that, as global warming accelerates, change in nature must speed up. They assume that as temperatures rise and climatic zones shift, species will face local extinction and colonize new habitats at an ever-increasing rate, leading to a rapid reshuffling of ecological communities.

A new study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and published in Nature Communications shows this is emphatically not the case.

The researchers analyzed a massive database of biodiversity surveys, spanning marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems over the last century. The evidence showed that not only had the "turnover" of species in local habitats not sped up, but instead, it had significantly slowed down.

Dr Emmanuel Nwankwo, lead author of the study, explained: “Nature functions like a self-repairing engine, constantly swapping out old parts for new ones. But we found this engine is now grinding to a halt.”

…

Nwankwo, E.C., Rossberg, A.G. Widespread slowdown in short-term species turnover despite accelerating climate change. Nat Commun 17, 1450 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-68187-1

[Easterncedar]

1. What have we done

[thought crime]

2. The fight against Climate Change must now be the top priority

There will be some very difficult choices to make. A proposed Solar Farm or Offshore Floating Wind Farm may encounter resistance from environmentalists due to local impacts on wildlife (e.g. Birds) but we need to understand the greater consequence of global warming on whole ecosystems.