Written by: Taiba
Climate Change: The Basics
The impact of climate change, which is the change in typical weather conditions like precipitation and temperature over a substantial period, extends far beyond our imagination. It is caused mainly due to human-controlled factors. Our ecosystems and biodiversity are at stake as even small changes in the climatic conditions can have major consequences.
Climate change occurs when excessive amounts of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) are released into the atmosphere. These gasses trap heat, leading to a rise in temperatures. Human activities like deforestation, industrial processes, and the burning of fuels contribute significantly to this emission, hastening the increase in Earth's temperature. The effects are alarming and reverberate throughout ecosystems putting lives at risk.
Fig 1.1: Global greenhouse gas emissions by sector
Impact on Species Redistribution and Biodiversity Loss
The global climate crisis impacts ecosystems by causing species to redistribute as temperatures continue to rise. Many species have no choice but to move to different habitats for survival, disrupting established ecological relationships in the process. This shift affects predator-prey dynamics and competition among species. Some species may struggle to adapt, which can lead to a decline in population or even extinction.
Furthermore, climate change exacerbates the loss of biodiversity. Altered habitats, changing temperatures, and irregular precipitation patterns hinder species' ability to adapt and migrate effectively resulting in shifts within ecosystems. Rising temperatures disrupt breeding cycles, feeding patterns, and migration routes—all crucial, for species survival.
Habitats suffer the effects of coral bleaching, wildfires, and rising sea levels. Warmer conditions create an environment for new species to thrive leading to the displacement of native ones. This disruption in biodiversity has far-reaching consequences, on ecosystem stability, pollination, and the availability of resources, ultimately impacting societies.
Fig.1.2: On the left, coral before bleaching, and on the right coral after bleaching
Depletion in Ecosystem Services
Additionally, ecosystem services, which are crucial benefits that natural ecosystems provide to humanity, are not immune to climate change. Disruptions due to shifting temperatures and precipitation patterns ripple through sectors, notably affecting agriculture, water availability, and overall ecological resilience. Changes result in altered growing seasons and reduced crop yields. These transformations have far-reaching effects on human well-being, impacting air quality, pollination processes, disease regulation, and access to clean water.
Ocean acidification is another cause for concern, stemming from oceans absorbing excess atmospheric carbon dioxide. Gradual pH reduction affects marine ecosystems, particularly organisms with calcium carbonate shells or structures. Lower pH levels impact species growth, reproduction, and overall health, cascading through food webs and altering species interactions. Such disruptions compromise marine biodiversity and ecosystem balance, threatening both stability and communities dependent on marine resources.
The escalation of extreme weather events is also linked to climate change. The frequency and intensity of natural disasters, including hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves, are rapidly rising. These events result in habitat destruction, soil erosion, and species displacement, further destabilizing ecosystems.
Climate Change's Reach into Geography and Biological Systems
Temperature increases accelerate evaporation rates, causing more severe and protracted droughts in particular areas. These droughts can dry out habitats, which affects how well an ecosystem can function overall and how well animals can access water. On the other hand, changes in precipitation patterns may result in more frequent and heavy rainstorm events that cause flooding. Floods destroy habitats, erode soil, and harm vegetation, which threatens the survival of species and exacerbates soil erosion.
Nutrient availability and plant growth are impacted by the interaction between rising temperatures and soil conditions. The breakdown of organic waste and the cycling of nutrients can both be affected by changes in soil microbial activity as a result of rising temperatures. This might favor invasive species that flourish in warmer environments and change the dynamics of ecosystems, affecting the makeup of plant communities.
Higher temperatures are causing glaciers to retreat and ice to melt, which is changing ecosystems in arctic and alpine areas. Shrinking glaciers deliver less freshwater to downstream ecosystems, reducing the amount of water available to aquatic life and human communities that depend on glacial meltwater. Permafrost melting in polar regions causes the release of carbon-stored energy into the atmosphere, amplifying greenhouse gas concentrations and accelerating the cycle of climate change.
Phenology – the timing of biological phenomena like blossoming, migration, and reproduction – is also affected by climate change. Species that depend on certain cues for these occurrences, such as temperature or day length, may have difficulties as these cues change. For instance, if warmer springs cause plants to flower early, pollinators may not have access to nectar at this time, which could alter pollination success and potentially entire food chains. This, in turn, would lead to the death or even extinction of multiple animals, affecting the world on a scale larger than we can comprehend.
Another effect of climate change is wildfires, and their increased frequency and severity, which have a significant impact on ecosystems. These flames have the potential to modify plant communities, disrupt the distribution of species, and destroy habitats. Fire helps some ecosystems by stimulating seed germination and removing old growth naturally. However, protracted droughts and high temperatures can cause wildfires Fig.1.3: How climate change causes wildfires to intensify beyond the natural fire regime,
altering ecosystems over time and making it harder for some species to survive.
By encouraging the spread of disease-carrying organisms, most notably mosquitoes, climate change has dramatically impacted ecosystems. This impact has led to the incidence of diseases like malaria and dengue fever spread throughout a wider range of geographical areas. This is primarily supported by variations in temperature and humidity patterns, which have an ecosystem-wide cascading effect. As temperatures rise, habitats that were previously unsuited for mosquito survival and reproduction become appropriate, hastening development and increasing the possibility of disease transmission.
Changes in humidity and precipitation both contribute to expanding mosquito breeding grounds, which supports rising mosquito populations. The delicate ecosystems' balance is severely threatened by this ecological change, especially in regions that had previously been immune to such maladies. Complex species interactions are affected, which may have an impact on the dynamics of competition, predator-prey relationships, and ecosystem health. The delicate balance within ecosystems might be upset if disease vectors widen their distribution, which would affect biodiversity and could have cascading effects that would affect the food chain and impair ecosystem services.
Positive Feedback Loops and the Alarming Dynamics of Arctic Ice Melting
Positive feedback, an occurrence that frequently causes the effects of climate change to be amplified, is one of the key components of feedback loop dynamics. The complex relationship between melting arctic ice and the Earth's albedo, which is a measurement of its reflection, serves as an illustration of this. Arctic ice is melting more quickly as a result of increased greenhouse gas emissions causing global temperatures to rise.
The Earth's albedo is reduced as a result of the decrease in ice cover, which results in a greater amount of solar energy being absorbed rather than reflected into space. As a result, this increased heat absorption accelerates warming and speeds up ice melt. The lessened ice cover also limits the area that can radiate heat, causing temperature increases to be more pronounced. This self-reinforcing loop keeps the cycle of ice melting, heat absorption, and global warming going. As ice melts, it not only increases global temperatures but also causes sea levels to rise, disturbs ocean currents, and affects marine habitats.
Mitigating Climate Change's Impact
Efforts to address the impact of climate change on ecosystems call for a fast, effective approach. It is crucial to prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and promoting land use practices that minimize emissions.
Preserving and restoring habitats play a role in enhancing the resilience of ecosystems; developing strategies that allow ecosystems to adapt to changing conditions is essential. This may involve introducing climate-resilient species, enhancing soil health, and restoring degraded ecosystems. The establishment of protected areas and wildlife corridors can aid in species migration and adaptation. Educating communities about the importance of ecosystems and the role they play in mitigating climate change can foster support for conservation efforts and sustainable practices.
Fig.1.4: The possible consequences we will have to face if we do not take the necessary steps to eradicate climate change.
In situations where natural migration is hindered by barriers, there may be a need for assisted migration – carefully relocating species to areas with conditions that the concerned creatures require. Adopting climate-friendly practices is essential to ensure food security and reduce pressure on natural ecosystems. International cooperation as demonstrated by agreements like the Paris Agreement, plays a role in addressing this issue through collaborative efforts to limit temperature rise and promote adaptive measures. Measures such as responsible consumption patterns, reducing waste, and supporting circular economies can reduce the demand for resource-intensive products and help lower overall environmental impacts.
To conclude, global climate change is reshaping ecosystems worldwide, presenting challenges to biodiversity species distribution and ecosystem services. The reaching consequences of these changes affect both systems and human societies. Addressing the impacts of climate change requires a combination of strategies; reducing greenhouse gas emissions while implementing measures that enhance ecosystem resilience through adaptation. Recognizing the urgency of this issue and taking action are steps towards securing a sustainable future, for our planet and its diverse ecosystems.
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Photo by the XL Catlin Seaview Survey.
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/infographic-wildfires-and-climate-change
Source: WHO
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