Section 2, impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The national climate assessment process gives us an opportunity to determine if the changes in ecosystems, biodiversity and ecosystem services that. Current international efforts to restrict climate change to less than 2 degrees celsius might suggest that the expected temperature change is not huge, and therefore little damage will be done. The impact of climate change on biodiversity in nepal. Pdf ecosystems, ecosystem services, and biodiversity. Climate change can threaten ecosystems that have already been weakened. He highlights the more or less strong ability of some groups of species to. The theme for ibd 2007 is climate change and biological diversity. Climate change can overwhelm the capacity of ecosystems to mitigate extreme events and disturbance, such as wildfires, floods, and drought. International union for conservation of nature and natural resources. The second phase will use an integrated assessment approach and. Biodiversity protection can help tackle climate change and. Changes to ecosystems as a result of climate change are likely to have significant and often negative social, cultural and economic consequences. Interactive effects of climate change and biodiversity.
Unfccc and their objective to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. Climate change impacts on environment lead to a reduction in the distribution and abundance. The impacts of climate change pose fundamental challenges for current approaches to biodiversity conservation. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The emerging field of climate change adaptation has experienced a dramatic increase in attention as the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems have become more evident.
Climate change represents a significant threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem. Impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems white paper prepared for the u. Strengthen the knowledge base on the climate change biodiversity linkage through. Biological impacts rapid climate change has many negative implications for the biodiversity of rivers and streams. Nepal and the surrounding himalayan region are particularly vulnerable to climate change because of their abrupt ecological and climatic transitions. Examples of documented and predicted climate driven changes in the. The rapid change in climate and the resulting accelerating loss of biodiversity can pose human security issues as there can be changes in the food chain and water sources. Interactions between changing climate and biodiversity. Impacts of climate change on marine organisms and ecosystems. Changing temperature and precipitation regimes will interact with existing drivers such as habitat loss to influence species distributions despite their protection within reserve boundaries.
In the last 30 y, estimates of these impacts have been confirmed and refined through increasingly precise climate assessments 2. Climate change impacts on ecosystem services grades 7 9 description. Cooperative report to the 20 national climate assessment. Impacts on ecosystems and human wellbeing abstract distributions of earths species are changing at accelerating rates, increasingly driven by humanmediated climate change. As climate change alters temperature and weather patterns, it will also impact plant and animal life. Global change research programs sustained assessment working group and contributes to the programs development of the national climate assessment. Climate change models predicting impacts on biodiversity. Biodiversity can support efforts to reduce the negative effects of climate change.
Climate research clim res i published february 19 potential impacts of climate change on ecosystems. Sri lanka is considered as a vulnerable, small island country that is under serious threat from climate change impacts. Some medicines might become harder to obtain because the fauna from which the chemicals are derived might disappear. Scale, data and resource needs, and knowledge gaps may affect the type of model most appropriate. The impacts of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity. Climate change impacts in the terrestrial realm climate change is expected to have a significant influence on terrestrial biodiversity at all system levels ecosystem, species and genetic diversity. Indicators to measure the climate change adaptation. Climate change can alter where species live, how they interact, and the timing of biological events, which could fundamentally transform current ecosystems and food webs. By 2100, global climate change will modify plant communities covering almost half of earths land surface and will drive the conversion of nearly 40 percent of landbased ecosystems from one major ecological community type such as forest, grassland or tundra toward another, according to a new nasa and university computer modeling study. Climate change and biodiversity ipcc technical paper v.
Climate change impacts on psfs will have consequences for the carbon cycle at local scales, although their role as a regulator of carbon cycle feedbacks at larger scales remains uncertain. Invasive species outbreaks fostered by climate change may be controlled by negative psfs in biodiversity rich ecosystems. These impacts will include effects on ecosystems, on their component species and genetic diversity within species, and on ecological interactions. In marine ecosystems, rising atmospheric co2 and climate change are associated with concurrent shifts in temperature, circulation, stratification, nutrient input, oxygen content, and ocean. Conserved or restored habitats can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus helping to address climate change by storing carbon for example, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and restoring degraded wetlands. Other globalscale human impacts, including land use change, overharvesting, air and water pollution, and increased disease risk from antibiotic.
Ecosystembased adaptation to climate change is the type of adaptation that aims to combine these outcomes and is particularly relevant to developing nations that safeguard most of the planetary biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity. To help species and ecosystems cope with climate change, oeh developed priorities for biodiversity adaptation to climate change pdf 1mb. Nasa probing the impact of climate change on wildlife. Pdf impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity. Change in climate has consequences on the biophysical environment such as changes in the start and length of the seasons, glacial retreat, decrease in arctic sea ice extent and a rise in sea level. Global warming and terrestrial biodiversity decline. It is clear that business as usual will neither achieve our climate change nor our biodiversity objectives. South africa consists of nine biomes 3, geographical areas comprising a number of ecosystems with related plants and animal groups and similar disturbance regimes, most importantly wildland fire.
Different definitions and examples of ecosystem based adaptation to climate change eba found in the literature. Biodiversity, climate change, and ecosystem services. Raise awareness of the linkages between climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem services through communication and education initiatives, make use of local knowledge and build institutional capacity and partnerships to facilitate integration. Climate driven changes in the distribution of life on earth are affecting ecosystem health, human wellbeing, and the dynamics of climate change, challenging local and regional systems of governance.
Fuentes3, bob glazer4, kimberly karish5, natalie montero3, and joshua s. May 07, 2020 by alan buis, jet propulsion laboratory. Biodiversity in ecosystems is a very hands on topic that is readily accessible to most students. The carbon cycle and the water cycle, arguably the two most important large. Climate change is affecting the habitats of several species, which must either adapt or migrate to areas with more favourable conditions. Pdf biodiversity, climate change, and ecosystem services. They examine recent trends in and projections about climate chan. Ecosystem based approaches to adaptation eba and ecosystem based approaches to disaster risk reduction ecodrr.
Biodiversity and the ecosystem functions and services it underpins can increase peoples resilience to climate change by providing safety nets in times of climate shocks and diversifying incomes and generating employment. Contribution of working groups i, ii and iii to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change core writing team, pachauri, r. With a warming of 3 c, relative to 1990 levels, it is likely that global terrestrial vegetation would become a net source of carbon schneider et al. They are therefore a crucial part of our effort to combat climate change. Potential impacts of climate change on ecosystem services in. Ecosystems and biodiversity national climate assessment. Climate and change in ecosystems flashcards quizlet. Climate change may bring big ecosystem changes climate. Review climate change biodiversity redistribution under climate change. The longterm adaptation scenarios report on biodiversity highlights the following biomes as the most vulnerable to climate and landuse changes, and are in need of. The theme coincides with the fact that 2007 is the international polar year.
These distributional shifts are leading to new ecosystems and ecological communities, changes that will affect human society. Since climate change and biodiversity loss like so many other environmental issues we face are closely interrelated, they are covered in the same guidance. Ecological and evolutionary responses to recent climate change. Climate change and biodiversity european commission. Apr 28, 2016 paul leadley discusses about the adaptation of ecosystems and biodiversity to the current and future climate change. Feb 24, 2009 the impacts of climate change pose fundamental challenges for current approaches to biodiversity conservation. Climate change and biodiversity in the european union. Climate change is predicted to shift the biomes in south africa, resulting in a change to the ecosystems and vegetation found in the sarah baartman district municipal area. The contents are the sole responsibility of tetra tech ard and do not necessarily reflect the views of usaid or the u.
Although there is relatively limited evidence of current extinctions caused by climate change, studies suggest that climate change could surpass habitat destruction. Towards a strategy on climate change, ecosystem services. Preparing for and addressing these changes are now prominent themes in conservation and natural resource policy and practice. A remark cited inbiodiversity and climate changestates the issue cogently. Biodiversity and ecosystem services help us to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem.
Sea level rise, due to climate change, threatens the long term persistence of the sundarbans forests and its biodiversity. Climate change may manifest itself as a shift in mean conditions, or as changes in the variance and frequency of extremes of climatic variables as shown in the inset figure from ipcc, 2001b in figure 1. Recognizing the critical role of biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services for human. Definitions the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services bes as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. Millennium ecosystem assessment 2005, and there is compelling evidence that climate change will result in the extinction of species from many. Impact of climate change on biodiversity springerlink. It also explains the present scenario of biological resources with biological diversity.
Current opinion in environmental sustainability 20, 5. P rojected impacts of changes in mean climate and extreme climatic events on te r restrial including aquatic and marine ecosystems. Climate change impacts on south africa s biodiversity a biome based perspective. Key issues in modeling biodiversity climate change interactions. Guidance on integrating climate change and biodiversity into. Climate change and biodiversity loss are expected to simultaneously affect ecosystems, however research on how each driver mediates the effect of the other has been limited in scope. It summarised key climate change impacts and identified potential response options for primary sectors, namely water, agriculture and forestry, human health, marine fisheries, and biodiversity. Global climate change is affecting forests worldwide at an unprecedented rate, leading to changes in ecosystems, species, and biodiversity pecl et al. It is now widely recognized that climate change and biodiversity are interconnected, not only through the effects of climate change on biodiversity, but also through changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning that affect climate change.
Changes are expected to alter the makeup and functioning of ecosystems, as well as some of the critical benefits that ecosystems provide to people. Towards a strategy on climate change, ecosystem services and. Addressing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity will require a longterm effort and new ways of thinking. Future climate change will directly affect lake ecosystems through warmer temperature and changes to the hydrologic cycle. Pdf climate climate change impacts on biodiversity and. Climate impacts on ecosystems climate change impacts us epa. They currently absorb roughly half of manmade carbon emissions. Climate change policymakers are increasingly conscious that biodiversity and its ecosystems provide services for other sectors e. However, there is still uncertainty about the extent and speed at which climate change will impact biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ironically, maintaining biodiversity levels and functioning ecosystems is critical to ameliorating climate change. Ecosystems entail all the living things in a particular area as well as the nonliving things with which they interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight.
Students will participate in a jigsaw to teach one another about the global impacts of climate change on humans and the natural world. Scientists have known for more than a century about potential human impacts on climate 1. Ecosystems provide a wide range of ecosystem services that are. The implications of these impacts are significant for the longterm stability of the. It also includes less material benefits, such as regulation of local climate conditions and aesthetic value or. Leading researchers discuss what is now known about the effects of climate change on the natural world. The loss of biodiversity could have many negative impacts on the future of ecosystems and humanity worldwide. The country is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with nearly a quarter of the land area located in protected areas. Through the national biodiversity and climate change action plan, agreed to by nrmmc in 2005, the australian government, in consultation with states and territory governments, has led a suite of biodiversity related climate change actions. Climate change represents a significant threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.
The chapter illuminates the effect of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Impacts of climate change on biodiversity, ecosystems, and. Healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity are fundamental to life on our planet. If climate change and the promotion of an integrative ecosystem approach have continuously be taken into account from 1992, agricultural diversity, and more recently the marine and coastal. Important to clarify for students the difference between climate change and climate variability.
Reece6 1florida fish and wildlife conservation commission, tallahassee, fl. Climate change is causing geographical redistribution of plant and animal species globally. National climate assessment epa participates in the u. The ipcc 4 assessment report ar4 concluded that climate change will have significant impacts on many aspects of biological diversity. The role of ecosystem services in climate change adaptation. Impacts of climate change on ecosystems and species author. Such changes are already altering the composition of ecological communities, but beyond. They also concluded that climate change would result in the extinction of many species and a reduction in the diversity of ecosystems p. Natures role in climate change terrestrial and marine ecosystems play an important role in regulating climate.
The climate change impacts are felt by all facets and sectors of ecosystems, covering flora, fauna and environment. Climate change, biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem service much of the damage described above has occurred over the past 50 years. Climate change may cause extinction at several taxonomic levels. Climate impacts on ecosystems climate change impacts. Climate change is one of many possible stressors on biodiversity. Plantation forests, climate change and biodiversity. Despite the potential of eba to provide adaptation benefits, there is a lack of consensus on how to measure the success of this approach.
Technical input to the 20 national climate assessment. The cover image on this brochure captures the most emblematic impact of climate change and consequent biodiversity loss in the whole of africa the. It is upon this shredded natural world, with its impaired capacity to deliver of ecosystem services 1, which accelerating climate change will impinge. Various types of modelling tools exist for predicting impacts of climate change on biodiversity andor ecosystem services. Ecosystems entail all the living things in a particular area as well as the nonliving things with which they interact, such as. An ecosystem refers to the animals, plants, and microorganisms that live in one place, as well as the environmental conditions that support them ecosystem services include the products and services provided by ecosystems, such as food, fuel, timber, water, clean air, and medicines. The authors have studied the vegetational history of this ecosystem in relation to climate change during the late quaternary.
Jun 10, 2010 biodiversity protection can help tackle climate change and poverty. Transforming the biosphereis the definitive statement composed by a large percentage of the leading scientific experts on the most urgent global problem short of the destruction of earth by a planetsized asteroid. The sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, shared by india and bangladesh, is recognized as a global priority for biodiversity conservation. A changing climate means changing habitats, threatening vulnerable species. Climate climate change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems in sri lanka. Climate change is expected to be one of the main future causes of biodiversity loss worldwide sala et al.
Students will begin to make connections between their actions and climate change. Ecosystem based adaptation eba is the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of a strategy to help people adapt to climate change. Global change research program national climate assessment midwest technical input report kimberly hall the nature conservancy, great lakes project recommended citation. Climate change impacts on floridas biodiversity and ecology. Biodiversity and climate change interactions c onserving natural terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and restoring degraded ecosystems in. This report is made possible by the support of the american people through the u.
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