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.
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
Climate change is arguably one of the most discussed issues in climatic conferences and political debates across the world. Establishment of the fact that global warming is the leading cause of climate change continues to persuade people to find out ways of reducing or mitigating the effects it has on the earth. Global warming occurs naturally, but artificial causes, which are mainly human activities, contribute to this effect. The release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from human activates has led to a 0.60C rise in global temperatures (Walther et al., 2002). This implies that different life forms are affected in one way or the other given the effect of temperature on life. Different species of flora and fauna have and continue to suffer the effect of climatic changes.
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
Global warming has taken planet earth by storm. Over 1 million animal species have gone extinct, and many more are predicted to follow. In the past century, temperatures have increased 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit due to humans’ high outpouring of greenhouse gases. This change has resulted in rising sea levels, which leads to habitat loss and climate change. This affects not only animals, but human beings, as well. If we don’t start an effort to save this plant, who knows how long it will last. Earth is a Marvelous place that’s a privilege to call home; it’s about time we start treating it that way.
With rapid global warming and climate change, one-fourth of the earth’s species could be headed for extinction by 2050 (Nature Conservancy, 2010). Riebeek (2010) explains that global warming is the rapid increase in the earth’s average surface temperature over the past century and is primarily due to the increase in greenhouse gases within the earth’s atmosphere. This current cycle of global warming is changing the rhythms of the climate that all living things have come to rely upon. Currently, these changes are having the most visible and significant impacts to the Polar Regions. Marine and terrestrial fauna at the earth’s polar regions are negatively impacted by global climate change due to the increase in temperatures most of which are now listed as endangered species due to the destruction of their habitat and alteration of their food web.
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.
The most well-known of these changes is climate change. Climate change is the change in climate patterns over a region. Climate change, or global warming, is very important and has severely affected the earth and its wildlife. More specifically, it has affected rainforests. Rainforests make-up at least 6% of the earth’s surface and at least 50% of the species of plants and animals, and ten percent of all rainforests are located in Asia alone. Thus, if anything were to happen to the rainforest population in Asia the results would be disastrous. However, it has already started. Studies show that the extreme temperatures has caused trees’ growth rates to decrease, and that extreme temperatures negatively correlate with growth rates. Additionally, studies show that animal populations are decreasing and migrating due to the deterioration of their habitats. Generally, climate change has had a negative effect on the earth and its’ inhabitants, thus, if we do not find a way to stop it now the results could be calamitous. Now the question is how do we prevent such an event, or at least protect ourselves from it. Thus, I recommend that further research be done to identify how and why certain species of animals have not been affected, and to see if this can be used to help other species to prevent any disasters in the
Climate Change is any substantial change in climate that lasts for an extended period of time. One contributor to current climate change is global warming, which is an increase in Earth’s average temperature. Plants and animal species throughout the world are being affected by rising temperatures. Many plants are flowering earlier now than they once did; animals, such as the yellowbellied marmot, are emerging from hibernation earlier; and many bird and butterfly species are migrating north and breeding earlier in the spring than they did a few decades ago, all because of slight changes in temperature cues. (Shuster)
Hardy, J. T. Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. New York: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.
The earth has experienced many unexpected outcomes over the years. The changes on earth have affected many animals, plants, and ecosystems. Different kinds of species stay involved with the dramatic changes the earth has went through. The past includes climate changes, distinctions, meteorites, and evolution processes. The changes on earth will always impact different species no matter where the species occupies. The changes on earth have led to many species becoming endangered. Endangered species continue to increase and without help, earth’s species will become distinct. Many factors contribute to why animals become endangered such as environmental changes, lack of resources, new species, and the evolution most species encounter throughout
Global warming is a serious problem with two major effects which are increasing in sea level and degradation of wild lives. Increase in sea level is affecting the entire landmass of the earth. According to NASA, the polar ice cap is melting at the alarming rate of nine percent per decade. Arctic ice thickness has decreased 40 percent since the 1960s (Oskin). The amount of water is more than the land in our planet. If this global warming continues at this pace, soon there will be no ground left on earth. The terrestrial animals will be exterminated from the earth if glo...
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.
It would be more worthwhile, however, to pay attention to all organisms on our planet, since climate change has also affected all the levels of biodiversity (Parmesan 2006). As studies have suggested that climate change could become the greatest threat to global biodiversity in the near future (Leadley et al. 2010), predicting the future dynamics of biodiversity under climate change has become a significant task for researchers in this field. Even though scientists have constructed a great deal of models to assess biodiversity range, species loss, etc. in the future, the understanding of the effects of global climate change on biodiversity and its different levels of response still seems insufficient (Bellard et al. 2012). By reviewing current understandings of the effects of climate change on biodiversity and capacities to project future impacts using models, Bellard et al. (2012) have pointed out the limitations and weaknesses of cu...
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...