Global ecosystems face rising stress from climate change

Ecological stress signals are intensifying across diverse global regions due to climate change. In the Amazon, researchers have detected a 122 percent increase in sesquiterpene emissions above the rainforest canopy. These organic compounds, released as part of plant defense mechanisms, have surged following extreme droughts in 2023 and 2024 linked to El Niño.

Simultaneously, the Mediterranean Sea is warming faster than most global oceans due to its semi-enclosed nature. Marine biologist Ernesto Azzurro warns that many changes are already irreversible. Rising temperatures are facilitating the spread of approximately 1,000 invasive species, many entering through the Suez Canal. These species, including toxic pufferfish and lionfish, are displacing native organisms. In parts of the eastern Mediterranean, such as near Cyprus, some areas have seen a 93 percent decline in local mollusk populations.