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+climate change affects on animals
role of humans in perpetuating climate change
effects of global warming on environment
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Everyone knows that global warming is a serious environmental health problem with its effects reflecting on nature and all of mankind on Earth since the mid-twentieth century – emission of concentrated greenhouse gases, rise of sea levels, melting of polar ice caps, and increase in global surface air temperature. The rise in global surface air temperature causes frequent droughts in dry areas and accelerated ocean warming and hence the rapid increase in sea levels and melting of the polar ice caps. Natural disasters from the unpredictable weather patterns were also observed over the past few years. With these effects in mind, we know that the biodiversity of wildlife is greatly affected. But how exactly does global warming present a threat to the loss of wildlife species? Its effect is much greater than what people are aware of. Science surrounds us and is part of our daily lives. We may be oblivious to our surroundings but what we do and what we eat has a great impact on the environment. Our choice of food, fashion and lifestyle affects the natural environment. Humans indiscriminately kill animals for raw materials such as fur and tusk for ivory; deforest for land; slash and burn for agriculture; mass production of goods resulting in release of chemical waste and harmful pollutants that is detrimental to the air quality as well as the health of the earth’s water bodies. Cold regions such as the north and south poles as well as the mountainous regions of Central Asia are such areas where global warming poses a threat to the species that inhabit the area. The arctic marine ecosystem is a very specific ecosystem which is intended and adapted for the sea ice environment and by the characteristic mammals that thrive in the ecosyste... ... middle of paper ... ...ge.” Part 4: The Environmental Era. An Environmental History of Canada. Canada. UBC Press. 2012. 319. Books.google.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2014 United States. Dept. of the Interior. USGS. “Predicting the Future Distribution of Polar Bear Habitat in the Polar Basin from Resource Selection Functions Applied to 21st Century General Circulation Model Projections of Sea Ice.” USGS science for a changing world. Dept. of the Interior, 2007. Web. 15 Jan. 2014 Roach, John. Most Polar Bears Gone By 2050, Studies Say. National Geographic, 2007. Web. 15 Jan. 2014 Lehmann, Julia, Amanda H. Korstjens, and Robin I. M. Dunbar. "Apes In A Changing World – The Effects Of Global Warming On The Behaviour And Distribution Of African Apes J. Lehmann Et Al. Global Warming And Ape Biogeography." Journal Of Biogeography 37.12 (2010): 2217- 2231. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
Apes have over and over again surpassed other primates in comprehension tests carried out in the laboratory. They are capable of reacting to stimuli in an appropriate manner. Researchers have measured intelligence in primates in a number of situations in an effort to determine the level of cognition these primates possess. Russon and Begun, researchers who have explored ape intelligence state, “In the physical domain, great apes do use tools in ways that require their grade of cognition but they devise equally complex manual techniques and solve equally complex spatial problems” (Russon and Begun 2004). Apes have the abilit...
Ursus americanus, the American black bear is the most common of the world’s bear species, about up to twelve times more abundant than grizzly or brown bears. They usually occupy forested areas but their habitats are highly variable— from the Louisiana Bayou to the Labrador Tundra, and the Northwestern rain forests in between. (Wilson & Ruff, 1999) American black bears are hunted legally seasonally due to their widespread population and distribution. However, with the increase in deforestation for industrialization in the Tri-State (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) area, the habitat loss could have adverse effects on the black bear populations. An interference with their natural territory could lead to alteration in the dispersal patterns. (Dixon, Wooten, McCown, Oli, Eason, & Cunningham, 2007)
The idea that humans could possibly have evolved from apes was thought impossible until about 150 years. Charles Darwin, an English naturalist and geologist, best known for his contribution to evolutionary theory, stated “humans evolved from an apelike ancestor” (1). Still after Darwin’s theories, many people still doubted the chances of this being true. Just in the past decade have scientists reached a general agreement about the evolutionary relationships between humans and apes. DNA evidence indicates that chimps and bonobos are more closely related to humans than they are to gorillas! Technically humans are a kind of great ape, and that is why throughout the article Smuts will refer to apes as forest apes.
If someone was asked to describe the physical condition of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, how would he or she describe them? Would they think of miles of pure, plain ice as far as the eye can see, or would they picture an ever-growing sea of icebergs and saltwater where the miles of ice once were? Though it may be hard to imagine, slowly melting ice in the Polar Regions have the potential to cause hazardous calamities around the world. As the polar ice caps continue to melt, the potential danger that could result grows by astounding margins. Scientists, however, have devised different ways to combat this growing danger and its source.
If the people don't do anything, then polar bears will no longer exist in the Arctic. The polar bears are almost extinct because polar bears are almost gone in the Arctic, they will be another animal extinct in the world. The polar bears are mostly found in the arctic circle. People need to be aware that in the arctic circle the temperatures have been getting warmer.
All in all, habitat loss is a crucial effect of climate change on polar bears. Without their habitat, polar bears will not be able to hunt, reproduce, or live. As long as climate change is occurring, polar bears have to work harder than ever before to stay alive. With these detrimental effects on the artic environment, polar bears could move from being threatened to being extinct. Today and future generations of polar bears are going to have to work twice as hard to survive to hopefully one day have their habitat
Over the last 100 years, global temperatures have warmed by about 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit on average(Pappas). This small change in temperature can and most likely will have long term effects. All forms of life that made the colder regions of the earth their homes are in danger of extinction. As temperatures shift, penguins are shifting their breeding seasons, too. A March 2012 study found that Gentoo penguins are adapting more quickly to warmer weather, because they aren’t as dependent on sea ice for breeding as other species(Pappas). Decreased winter snowfall on mountaintops is allowing elk in northern Arizona to forage at higher elevations all winter, contributing to a decline in seasonal plants. Elk have ravaged trees such as maples and aspens, which in turn has led
I would agree that the United States has value to polar bears but they also kill them for meat, hides, and status. By doing so they’re limiting what is rarely available. Although, hunting is legal it is becoming the main cause of death for these creatures, even if we do not hunt them they are passing due to the arctic becoming a warm climate. We can stop the killing of these animals by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases
Our practices are altering the environment and endangering society in return. Carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere in many ways; some of which are naturally occurring and others are from human activity. Over 95% of the carbon dioxide emissions are from natural sources, and would occur even if humans were not on Earth. However, Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, due to the cyclic nature of the carbon cycle, would change little if not for human activities that produce so much every year. The present addition of 3% annually to emissions is enough to throw off the balancing effect of the carbon cycle. The result is a build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is currently at about a third higher than pre-industrial levels worldwide.
Liu, S., Lorenzen, E., Fumagalli, M., Li, B., Harris, K., Xiong, Z., & ... McInerney, J. (2014). Population Genomics Reveal Recent Speciation and Rapid Evolutionary Adaptation in Polar Bears. Cell, 157(4), 785-794.
The warming of the Earth is destroying our ecosystem. Our ecosystem is being affected. The changes in the climate are and will continue to affect all species, humans and animals. Many animals will become extinct because of this. In an article written about the ecosystem by Peter Fashing, said “Several species, including the arctic fox and Thayer’s gull, rely on scavenging the remains of seals killed by polar bears as an important component of their diet. If polar bears become extinct, these species also may follow them into extinction. In fact, the loss of polar bears and the climate change that is behind this loss are, unfortunately, likely to ultimately result in the collapse of the entire arctic ecosystem as we know it today.” (Fashing, 2009)
Change in ocean temperature does not solely affect marine life; it also affects regional land climates and ecosystems. Deep below the surface of the ocean, currents move warm and cool water, carbon, oxygen, as well as nutrients from one place to another. This process is referred to as the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt, and anthropogenic climate change is beginning to affect how it operates. One example of this can be seen in the changes occurring to the large deep-water current of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Researchers found that recent climate change may be acting to slow down a major ocean conveyor belt. There is cause for concern because ocean currents play a major role in determining the amount of CO2 that the ocean can absorb, and consequently determines climate. (Casimir de Lavergne, 2014) When the ocean current slows, the ocean is less capable in absorbing carbon and heat from the atmosphere resulting in uncharacteristic climates across the globe. This change in deep ocean currents demonstrates another consequence of anthropogenic climate
“Average temperatures in the U.S. over the last century have already increased by more than one degree fahrenheit.”(NWF). There has been many noticeable changes due this minor change in temperature. These changes in temperatures are causing problems such as when animals migrate or when they go to hibernate. Warmer temperatures cause the animals to think it is earlier than it actually is and can lead them to migrate or hibernate at the wrong times. These increases in temperature are also leading to the melting of ice in the arctic. Many animals, such as polar bears and seals depend on the ice for somewhere to live and survive. This melting of the ice also leads to sea levels rising. The rising of the sea levels also causes loss of habitats because coastlines and beaches are eroded away. Global warming leads to the extinction of animals because many habitats are lost. With the loss of habitats, animals are completely lost and they have to change their whole way of life in order to survive. If they are not able to adapt to their new surroundings many could become endangered or extinct as the result of lack of food or shelter. Clearly, global warming is adding to the extinction of many
This drastic and significant change in global temperatures is affecting the species’ food supply through the warming of oceans, while also impacting their environments to the extent of a mass reduction of nesting sites and habitats. This threat that is now evident has scientists looking at the application and limitation to how we can prevent this issue, in order to save these animals from the long-term impacts of this issue and the existential threat.
The animals around us are struggling, especially if they are unable to adapt quickly enough to these climate changes, there could be “significant negative impacts” (Albeck-Ripka). The beginning of what affects us, as humans, is when our surrounding environment begins to change and alter itself. If even just one species is unable to survive, then an entire ecosystem could become imbalanced, thus creating fluxuations which even humans may not be able to handle in our surge for resources. Global warming is also affecting the rate that our plants and other resources grow at. rowing season in North America has recently began to commence four to twelve days later than in years past and has ended as early as one to seven days earlier than it should have (Morgan). These shorter growing seasons may not seem significant in comparison to the 365 days that are in a year, but they are actually affecting the wildlife as well, such as the moose. The wolf, the main predator of the moose in Minnesota, has began to hunt in larger packs due to the increased amount of snow. This caused the wolves to kill about three times as many moose than they had when they worked in smaller packs, thus decreasing the population size (Morgan). Not only is this another example of how temperature changes are affecting the organisms around us, but soon enough, the same thing could happen to