There's little question that global warming will severely impact the balance species populations currently dwelling on planet Earth. Already, the polar bear has made the endangered species list due to the ever-increasing distances it must swim between ice sheet habitats. While such a threat seems distant to humans, it may be that global warming has similar impacts in store for all k-selected species.

A joint German-Canadian study of changing populations in aquatic creatures during the warming of the 1990s recently confirmed that animals with shorter life spans, large gene pools, and ability to tolerate temperature extremes will face fewer challenges from the warming climate than longer-lived, slower-developing species. While the human gene pool is relatively secure, and technological developments will likely protect populations from the brunt of direct eco-system changes, this is still very bad news for humanity.

Not only does this effect have the potential to decimate populations of food supply animals such as fish, cattle, and pigs, but it also gives tremendous advantage to traditional nuisance species such as insects and vermin. Mosquitos, which have proven the deadliest disease vector in recorded history, and plague-infected fleas and the mice that carry them could present an issue of pandemic proportions in the coming decades.