Chemicals in our environment are a major cause of infertility problems in both humans and animals, but recent data shows that climate change is another looming threat to fertility.
Males of some species can become infertile at temperatures much lower than the maximum temperature they are able to endure for survival. A species survival is more dependent on the temperature at which it becomes infertile rather than the temperature it can survive.|
Researchers examined 43 species of flies. They examined the temperature lethal for 80% of the flies, and the temperature at which 80% of males become infertile.
Researchers found that 11 of the 43 species suffered loss in fertility at cooler than lethal temperatures immediately after heat stress. The effect of infertility continued to get worse after seven days. After seven days 19 out of 43 species suffered infertility at cooler than lethal temperatures.
These fertility responses are crucial to species survival. A separate study led by one author of this article, using simulated climate change in the laboratory, showed experimental populations of the same flies become extinct not because they can’t survive the heat, but because the males become infertile. Species from tropical rainforests were the first to succumb to extinction.
Fly infertility shows we’re underestimating how badly climate change harms animals
Too-high temperatures have also been shown to affect fertilization in corals, cows, pigs, fish and birds.
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