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Thousands of species have become extinct over the last four decades as a result of changes in land use and as a result of global warming. Whether or not the millions of species can adapt and evolve to climate changes is debatable. As this brief overview will report, the human species is not adapting well to the changes. It must be remembered that increases in the levels of carbon dioxide are certainly responsible for the risk many species face, but so is the way land is used, e.g., rain forest destruction. There is a feedback loop wherein plant life and the climate are interdependent. Each affects the other. When forests are cut down, temperatures in that area will rise. Rising temperatures cause other plant life requiring cooler temperatures To die off. As the following report demonstrates, some species are adapting to climate changes while many others are not. In some cases, laboratory experiments have lead to the conclusion that certain species can or cannot adapt and evolve. This research is not sufficient to make definitive statements regarding what will happen to species if temperatures and sea levels continue to rise. The first part of this essay discusses what the human species has done to deal with the problem of climate change. While some improvements have been made, the problem has not been addressed aggressively enough to stop the damage. What is amazing about this is the denial of so many people that problems exist. If they do realize the risks, they are simply not taking actions to contain the damage. There is no longer any question that our world climate has changed (King, 2004). Over the last 100 years, "temperatures have risen by about 0.6 degrees Celsius and global sea level has risen by about 20cm" (K... ... middle of paper ... ...onald P., Pitelka, Louis F., Solomon, Allen M., Nathan, Ran, Midgley, Guy F., Fragoso, Jose M.V., Lischke, Heike & Thompson, Ken. (2005, September). Forecasting regional to global plant migration in response to climate change. BioScience 55(9), 749(11). Nigh, Gordon D., Ying, Cheng C. & Qian, Hong. (2004, October). Climate and Productivity of Major Conifer Species in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Forest Science 50(5), 659. OECD Observer. (2004, May). Global warning. OECD Observer 243, 53(1). Palevitz, Barry A. (1999, July). Global Warming: Organisms Feel the Heat. The Scientist 13(14), 1. Pray, Leslie. (2003, September). Adapting to Climate Change. The Scientist 2003, 17(18), 34. Retallack, Simon. (1999, March-April). Wildlife in danger. The Ecologist 29(2), 102. Retallack, Simon. (2000, November). Inking Kyoto. The Ecologist 30(8), 58.
Climate change is on the international policy agenda primarily because of warnings from scientists. Their forecasts of a potentially dangerous increase in the average global temperature, fortuitously assisted by unusual weather events, have prompted governments to enter into perhaps the most complicated and most significant set of negotiations ever attempted. Key questions - the rapidity of global climate change, its effects on the natural systems on which humans depend, and the options available to lessen or adapt to such change - have energized the scientific and related communities in analyses that are deeply dependent on scientific evidence and research.
In recent decades, the contentious issues surrounding climate change and the corresponding effects it likely exerts upon contemporary civilization has developed to become one of the most pressing areas of concern afflicting humanity (Armstrong, 1). Currently, climate change has started to demonstrate its potentially calamitous consequences upon human subsistence practices, and has even begun to alter the very environments that entire societies reside in, theoretically endangering them in both instances (Armstrong, 1). Though the hindrances inherent in climate change are potentially devastating to the preservation of modern society, the problem of climate change itself is not one that is exclusive to the contemporary era. Rather, the harmful
With global warming on the increase and species habitats on the decrease, the chances for various ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many studies have pointed out that the rates of extinction of animal and plant species and the temperature changes around the world since the industrial revolution have been significantly different to normal expectations.
Post, E., & Pedersen, C. (2008). Opposing plant community responses to warming with and without herbivores. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105(34), 12353-12358.
Species are decreasing and becoming extinct over time due to climate warming. Animals and plants have developed and diversified from earlier forms to become more complex organisms. Not only have living organisms changed, but so has the Earth. Over time, the world itself has changed drastically, not just the climate but the way it looks as well. The ice on the arctic is melting, causing oceans to become more acidic, oceans became deserts and pollution from our everyday lives are affecting the ozone. It all adds up and changes the world negatively. When the world changes, so do the animals within it. Climate warming has been a big part of the change we see in the population of different species. The speed of climate change is excelling, which
Global warming is one of the most serious problems that people all over the world are dealing with. In fact, however, many people may not realize that global warming also affects animals as badly as it does to human. All Americans should help protect animals from global warming because global warming changes animals’ habitats, decreases food supplies of animals, and even shortens animals’ lifespan.
In our ever changing world, some species have become more common because they are able to adapt to climate change, become invasive species, or are able to compete with invasive species. As temperatures rise, generalists and species with effective dispersal will be better able to adapt. Species limited to a small range, a range at high elevations, or limited by ineffective dispersal, will be at risk of becoming more rare or extinct (Saltre et al.
Most people do not think about global temperatures, but local ones. Therefore, climate change affects ecosystems, not just through increases in the mean, but also through changes in the extremes. Earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change. Even more, scientists are now able to say that climate change increases the risk of a particular weather pattern by a measurable amount and, in any case, that a particular episode is almost impossible to imagine without global warming.
The ecological consequences of global climate change are expected to be drastic although not much is known as to how individual species will react to these changes. Irrespective of the causes of climate change, whether anthropogenic or natural, it is imperative that we address these concerns, as they will have widespread impacts on the human species, both directly and indirectly through forcings on other species. The climate is not expected to shift evenly and the ways in which certain species adapt or migrate due to these changes could be erratic and unpredictable. The rate at which the earth’s climate is currently changing is unprecedented and has not been seen in the past 450,000 years. Although many species have simply migrated northward or vertically up mountainsides to escape warming habitats, others do not have this luxury or cannot migrate fast enough to survive. The earth’s temperature has risen by over one degree Fahrenheit over the past century, based on land and sea level measurements. The temperature is expected to continue rising at a faster pace over the next century, possibly increasing by as much as seven degrees Celsius. In comparison, the earth’s average global temperature was only twelve degrees cooler than it is now during the last great ice age. A vast majority of species now living do so within a narrow spectrum of temperature ranges and will not be able to adapt to a warming climate on such a large scale. If humans are the cause of a warming climate we will ultimately be responsible for the destruction of millions of species.
The earth has experienced climate change for the entirety of its existence. For billions of years, this change has occurred at a relatively slow pace, with exceptions being caused by events such as large scale volcanic eruptions. Now, humans are the cause for high rates of climate change and damage to the environment. This is beginning to have damaging effects on not only us, but the world around us, and we are only just started to take action. Efforts to reduce climate change would be more realized if not for the resistance of many due to misconceptions, money, and a reluctance to change. Short- and long-term solutions are being developed by the brightest minds, but they will not work without
In many parts of the world, ecosystems’ temperatures begin to rise and fall to extreme levels making it very difficult for animals and plants to adapt in time to survive. Climate has never been stable here on Earth. Climate is an important environmental influence on ecosystems. Climate changes the impacts of climate change, and affects ecosystems in a variety of ways. For instance, warming could force species to migrate to higher latitudes or higher elevations where temperatures are more conducive to their survival. Similarly, as sea level rises, saltwater intrusion into a freshwater sys...
Climate change has serious effects on both living and nonliving things which can destroy their nature, habitat or way of living.
Our planet has managed to survive and thrive for about 4.54 billion years. In the last 2 million years we have caused enough damage and destruction to make our world “broken” beyond repair. We will not be able to get back the world we once had. The reason behind this is global warming, specifically, the increase of the global temperature due to the burning of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. If we do not make the issue of global warming a priority in today`s society, our entire way of life will be at risk. There are many reasons why so many people believe global warming should be a concern. Thoroughly examined points include: scientific predictions, rising temperatures, human causes, drastic climate changes and animal adaptations. Though there are several points arguing how global warming should not be a concern, the reality of the matter is that it needs to be taken into consideration on a global scale before it is too late, as to do nothing would have devastating implications on humankind.
...of the flora and fauna species are unlikely to have time either to adapt to this warming, or to adjust their ranges to keep pace with the shift in climatic zones.
Hardy, J. T. Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. New York: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.