Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity

Imagine yourself in the streets of New York. Every house, every street, used to be stretches of vegetation, fertile soil, and bountiful groups of wildlife. In less than 500 years, millions of towns and cities were built, destroying the environment and forcing wildlife to move. Annually, 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by human activity alone. The earth is getting warmer. The changes are small so far, but they are expected to speed up. In the next 50 to 100 years, the earth will get warmer than it has ever been in the past million years. Floods will take place along the coasts of cities and as oceans warm, glaciers will melt. Forests will die because of the heat and drought, and food crops will fail. If this continues, life for humans will change for the worse. The pollution that humans are releasing onto the earth is negatively affecting biodiversity on the earth. You have probably heard a lot of commotion about climate change on the news. You might blame it on modern society and what industries are doing now with nuclear plants, and industrial buildings, but did you know that climate change has been present for a long time? Climate change did not begin when the human race came to be. It existed far back in time, when the last ice age retreated 20,000 years ago. The temperature on Earth increased dramatically, ranging from an increase of 7 to 8 Celsius.1 Since then, the oceans have risen hundreds of feet and glaciers have melted back by about 2,000 miles.2 Ice once stood a mile
1

Booker, Christopher. "Growing Glaciers." Ice Age Now. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.iceagenow.com/Growing_Glaciers.htm>. 2 "Signs of a Warming Planet - Rising Sea Waters, Destruction of Coral, Melting Ice, Effects on Wildlife." Science Clarified. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Global-Warming/Signs-of-a-WarmingPlanet.html>.

high where today we have built the cities of New York and London. As ice melted, the oceans rose. From there, a milestone for climate change is the industrial revolution in the 18th century. With the invention of the steam engine, cloud after cloud of smoke could be seen from miles away. As more and more fossil fuels in the form of oil were mined and burned, gases began releasing into the atmosphere. Currently, it is estimated that 40% of the increase in the carbon dioxide content of the Earths atmosphere is caused by the burning of these fossil fuels from the revolution.3 With such technology back then, it helped with agriculture, which increased the population even more, causing more pollution. In the 1900s, World War I and World War II also caused pollution, with debris flying everywhere and huge clouds of smoke being produced by gunfire and tanks. Now civilizations come to modern times, where convenient inventions may be harming society in the future. Turning on a light, washing or drying clothes, using a hair dryer, and playing a video game are able to cause pollution. Although society cannot stop this from happening because humans are dependent with these inventions, everyone can reduce the usage if everyone tried. Climate change is the significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories, human and natural causes. It is now a global concern that the climatic changes occurring today have been sped up because of human activities. The natural variability and the climate fluctuations of the climate system have always

"Global Warming :: Environmental Facts :: Young People's Trust for the Environment."Young People's Trust for the Environment - Information for Kids on the Environment, Climate Change and Wildlife. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/global-warming/11>.

been part of the Earths history. However, there have been changes in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere growing at an unprecedented rate and magnitude.

Many plants and animals have already begun to respond to the changing climate. Behavioural changes endanger whole food chains. For example, some hibernating animals have been observed to wake up earlier or to stop hibernating all together. These animals require food when they are awake, and this hunger, endangers the animals since the food may not be there. It also puts them in competition with other species in need of the same scarce food resources. For example, reindeer are expected to disappear from large portions of their current range by the end of the century. Marmots are ending their hibernations about three weeks earlier than they did 30 years ago.4 Canadian red squirrels are breeding about 18 days earlier. North American Fowler's toads are breeding six days later than they did a decade ago. Polar bears today are thinner and less healthy than those of 20 years ago.5

Climate change also affects marine life. Coral reefs around the world are predicted to increase by up to a third in size. Loggerhead sea turtles are laying their eggs about 10 days earlier than they did 15 years ago.6 Tidal organisms like rock barnacles, molluscs, and tidal snails commonly found in warm southern waters are moving northward. Many fish species are relocating northward in search of cooler waters. All of these changes are caused by climate

"Global Warming and Wildlife." CopperWiki. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php?title=Global_warming_and_wildlife>. 5 "Animals and Plants Adapting to Climate Change | LiveScience." Current News on Space, Animals, Technology, Health, Environment, Culture and History | LiveScience. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.livescience.com/3863animals-plants-adapting-climate-change.html>. 6 "Turtles Laying Eggs Earlier Because of Climate Change." The Heat Is Online. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?ID=4643>.

change. Animals are trying to adapt to their environment, but the changes are too great. It is only a matter of time until extinction takes its place.

Climate change is having a much more profound effect than just melting ice caps, it is melting magma too. Vatnajkull is the largest ice cap in Iceland, and is disappearing at a rate of 5 cubic kilometres per year.7 Scientists of the University of Iceland have calculated the effects of the melting on the crust and magma underneath. They say As the ice disappears, it relieves the pressure exerted on the rocks deep under the ice sheet, increasing the rate at which it melts into magma.8 An average of 1.4 cubic kilometres has been produced every century since 1890, a 10% increase on the background rate.9 In Iceland there are several active volcanoes under the ice. The last big eruption was in 1996 at Gjlp, and before then in 1938, a gap of 58 years. But scientists say that the extra magma produced as the ice cap melts could supply enough magma for similar eruptions to take place every 30 years on average.

Climate change could drive the natural forest fire rhythm out of control. Climate scientists predict that pouring billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere will increase global temperatures, change precipitation and atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns. These changes are expected to lead to drier conditions in the boreal

"Will a Warmer World Trigger More Intense Volcanic Activity?" The Daily Galaxy - Great Discoveries Channel -Your Daily Dose of Awe: Science, Space, Tech. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/04/will-a-warmer-world-trigger-massive-volcanic-acitivity.html>. 8 "Melting Ice Caps May Trigger More Volcanic Eruptions - Environment - 03 April 2008 - New Scientist." Science News and Science Jobs from New Scientist - New Scientist. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13583-melting-ice-caps-may-trigger-more-volcanic-eruptions.html>. 9 "Global Warming Causes Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions (yes, This Story Is real) Fabius Maximus." Fabius Maximus. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/2010/04/17/earthquakes-2/>.

forest, with some models predicting a 40 to 50 percent increase in the area burned each year in Canada, as well as more frequent fires of higher intensity in the tundra.

Even in tropical rainforests unaffected by human activities such as logging or burning, researchers have noticed dramatic differences in the growth patterns of trees over the past 20 years. Levels of carbon dioxide have risen by in the past 200 years because of emissions from automobiles and industry and rapid forest burning, particularly in the tropics. Much of the increase in CO2, which plants use from the air for photosynthesis, has occurred since 1960. The scientists suspect the rising CO2 levels are fertilizing the rainforests and increasing competition for light, water, and nutrients in the soil. So the big fast-growing trees have an advantage and are outpacing the smaller ones. This may tip the balance of trees immensely.

Desertification affects many areas of the world, frequently leading to food shortages. The most common cause of desertification is the over cultivation of desert lands. Overcultivation causes the nutrients in the soil to be depleted faster than they are restored. Improper irrigation practices result in salinized soils, and depletion of aquifers. Although global warming may not be the seed of this problem, it can speed up the process of desertification greatly.

Plants use C02 to produce oxygen, and without C02 the Earth would be too cold. But if too much C02 is released into the atmosphere, then it will greatly affect our temperatures. 72% of the totally emitted greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, 18% Methane and 9%

Nitrous oxide.10 As you can tell, carbon dioxide is the core of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide emissions are therefore most important cause of climate change. CO2 is inevitably created by burning fuels, oil, natural gas, diesel, organic-diesel, petrol, organic-petrol, and ethanol.

Natural disasters like floods are becoming an everyday occurrence. But they're not all that natural, climate scientists say climate change is the sudden force behind the forces of nature. As mentioned before, carbon dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere, therefore warming the earth. This causes hot air to be more frequent and precipitation is dramatically increased.

Meteorologists found that the temperature changes brought on by climate change are significant enough to cause an increase in the occurrence of severe storms. Severe storms are those that cause flooding, have damaging winds, hail, and have the potential to cause tornados. Their study revealed that by the end of this century, the number of days that favour severe storms could more than double certain locations, such as Atlanta and New York.

Climate change and its effects in the Arctic may be the most serious environmental issue threatening the Arctic environment. Average annual temperatures in the Arctic have increased twofold compared to the global average temperatures. This warming trend has had a devastating impact on Arctic ecosystems, including sea ice, permafrost, forests and

10

"CO2 - the Major Cause of Global Warming | Time for Change." Time for Change | For Whom Enough Is Too Little - Nothing Is Ever Enough. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://timeforchange.org/CO2-cause-of-global-warming>.

tundra. Warming has contributed to increases in lake temperatures, permafrost thawing, increased stress on plant and animal populations and the melting of glaciers, which will cause more flooding and increase of the sea level.

Climate change doesnt just affect the animals and the environment. It also affects human beings as well. Human beings are exposed to climate change through changing weather patterns and indirectly through changes in water, air, food quality and quantity, ecosystems, agriculture, and economy. At this early stage, the effects are small but are projected to progressively increase in all countries and regions. Climate change may directly affect human health through increases in average temperature. Such increases may lead to more extreme heat waves during the summer while producing less extreme cold spells during the winter. Rising average temperatures are predicted to increase the incidence of heat waves and hot extremes. In the United States, Chicago is projected to experience 25 percent more frequent heat waves and Los Angeles 2 time increase in heat wave days by the end of the century.11 Particular segments of the population, such as those with heart problems, asthma, the elderly, the youth, and the homeless, can be especially vulnerable to extreme heat.

Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These "vector-borne" diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Higher temperatures, in combination with favourable rainfall patterns, could prolong disease
11

"Health | Climate Change - Health and Environmental Effects | U.S. EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://epa.gov/climatechange/effects/health.html>.

transmission seasons in some locations where certain diseases already exist. In other locations, climate change will decrease transmission via reductions in rainfall or temperatures that are too high for transmission.

Although industry is the main problem for climate change, it can actually backfire. Like mentioned before, climate change can affect food crops, and many big industries rely on food production. This could also greatly affect supermarkets as food would not be readily available. Ultimately, this can affect humans as eating habits can be greatly affected.

The world is being faced with a serious issue of global climate change due to the human activity. Although it is natures cycle for this to happen, civilization is accelerating it with their inconsiderate and lavish life styles. Our planet needs caring, and everyone must pull together and help the world. Notices may not be obvious yet, but if society still precise in activities affecting our planet, civilizations will suffer. Human activity is negatively affecting our biodiversity immensely.