Climate Change Affects Biodiversity

8/19/2019 Climate Change Affects Biodiversity

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Climate Change Affects Biodiversity

Author and Page information

• by Anup Shah

• This Page Last Updated Tuesday, August 10, 2010

• This page: http://www.globalissues.org/artile/1!2/li"ate#hange#a$$ets#biodi%ersity.

• To print all in$or"ation e.g. e&panded side notes, shows alternati%e lin's, use the print %ersion:

o http://www.globalissues.org/print/artile/1!2

The lin' between li"ate hange and biodi%ersity has long been established. Although throughout (arth)shistory the li"ate has always hanged with eosyste"s and speies o"ing and going, rapid li"ate hange

a$$ets eosyste"s and speies ability to adapt and so biodi%ersity loss inreases.

*iodi%ersity and +li"ate +hange, +on%ention on *iologial i%ersity, ee"ber, 200-

ro" a hu"an perspeti%e, the rapid li"ate hange and aelerating biodi%ersity loss ris's hu"an seuritye.g. a "aor hange in the $ood hain upon whih we depend, water soures "ay hange, reede or disappear,

"ediines and other resoures we rely on "ay be harder to obtain as the plants and $orna they are deri%ed $ro"

"ay redue or disappear, et..

The U)s 3lobal *iodi%ersity 4utloo' 5, in 6ay 2010, su""ari7ed so"e onerns that li"ate hange willha%e on eosyste"s:

+li"ate hange is already ha%ing an i"pat on biodi%ersity, and is proeted to beo"e a progressi%ely "ore

signi$iant threat in the o"ing deades. Loss o$ Arti sea ie threatens biodi%ersity aross an entire bio"e and

beyond. The related pressure o$ oean aidi$iation, resulting $ro" higher onentrations o$ arbon dio&ide inthe at"osphere, is also already being obser%ed.

(osyste"s are already showing negati%e i"pats under urrent le%els o$ li"ate hange 8 whih is "odest

o"pared to $uture proeted hanges8. 9n addition to war"ing te"peratures, "ore $reuent e&tre"e weather

e%ents and hanging patterns o$ rain$all and drought an be e&peted to ha%e signi$iant i"pats on biodi%ersity.

; Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010), Global Biodiversity Otloo! " , #ay, 2010,

p$%&

So"e speies "ay bene$it $ro" li"ate hange inluding, $ro" a hu"an perspeti%e, an inreases in diseases

and pests but the rapid nature o$ the hange suggests that "ost speies will not $ind it as bene$iial as "ost willnot be able to adapt.

This web page has the $ollowing sub#setions:

1. +li"ate hange i"pats on biodi%ersity in the Arti

http://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversityhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversityhttp://www.globalissues.org/print/article/172http://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warminghttp://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctionshttp://vimeo.com/7965089http://gbo3.cbd.int/http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introductionhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introductionhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#ClimatechangeimpactsonbiodiversityintheArctichttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversityhttp://www.globalissues.org/print/article/172http://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warminghttp://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctionshttp://vimeo.com/7965089http://gbo3.cbd.int/http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introductionhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introductionhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#ClimatechangeimpactsonbiodiversityintheArctichttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity


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2. 9nreasing oean aidi$iation

5. 9nreasing oean strati$iation


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The e&tent o$ $loating sea ie in the Arti 4ean, as "easured at its annual "ini"u" in Septe"ber, showed a

steady deline between 1-C0 and 200-.Soure: ational Snow and 9e ata +enter, graph o"piled by

Seretariat o$ the +on%ention on *iologial i%ersity 2010 3lobal *iodi%ersity 4utloo' 5, 6ay 2010

9t is also i"portant to note that loss o$ sea ie has i"pliations on biodi%ersity beyond the Arti, as the 3lobal

*iodi%ersity 4utloo' report also su""ari7es:

• *right white ie re$lets sunlight.

• hen it is replaed by dar'er water, the oean and the air heat "uh $aster, a $eedba' that

aelerates ie "elt and heating o$ sur$ae air inland, with resultant loss o$ tundra.

• Less sea ie leads to hanges in seawater te"perature and salinity, leading to hanges in pri"ary

produti%ity and speies o"position o$ plan'ton and $ish, as well as large#sale hanges inoean irulation, a$$eting biodi%ersity well beyond the Arti.

; Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010), Global Biodiversity Otloo! " , #ay, 2010,

p$%'

This site)s intro to li"ate hange and Arti geopolitis has "ore about the i"pat to the Arti.

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Increasing ocean acidification

Although it has gained less "ainstrea" "edia attention, the e$$ets o$ inreasing greenhouse e"issions ; in

partiular arbon dio&ide ; on the oeans "ay well be signi$iant.

4AA 4ean Aidi$iation e"onstration, ational 4eani and At"ospheri Ad"inistration, ebruary 2>,

2010

http://gbo3.cbd.int/http://gbo3.cbd.int/http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introductionhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/740/dominance-in-the-arctichttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuttOKcTPQshttp://gbo3.cbd.int/http://gbo3.cbd.int/http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introductionhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/740/dominance-in-the-arctichttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuttOKcTPQs


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As e&plained by the US ageny, the ational 4eani and At"ospheri Ad"inistration 4AA, the basi

he"istry o$ oean aidi$iation is well understood.

These are the 5 "ain onepts:

1. 6ore +42 in the at"osphere "eans "ore +42 in the oeanD

2. At"ospheri +42 is dissol%ed in the oean, whih beo"es "ore aidiD and

5. The resulting hanges in the he"istry o$ the oeans disrupts the ability o$ plants and ani"als in the sea

to "a'e shells and s'eletons o$ aliu" arbonate, while dissol%ing shells already $or"ed.

Short o%er%iew o$ oean aidi$iation: 4ean Aidi$iation, A*+ orld ews ebast, Eune !, 200C

Sientists ha%e $ound that oeans are able to absorb so"e o$ the e&ess +42 released by hu"an ati%ity. This

has helped 'eep the planet ooler than it otherwise ould ha%e been had these gases re"ained in the at"osphere

Fowe%er, the additional ecess +42 being absorbed is also resulting in the aidi$iation o$ the oeans: hen

+42 reats with water it produes a wea' aid alled arboni aid, hanging the sea water he"istry. As the

3lobal *iodi%ersity 4utloo' report e&plains, the water is so"e 50B "ore aidi than pre#industrial ti"es,depleting arbonate ions ; the building blo's $or "any "arine organis"s.

9n addition, ?onentrations o$ arbonate ions are now lower than at any ti"e during the last C00,000 years. The

i"pats on oean biologial di%ersity and eosyste" $untioning will li'ely be se%ere, though the preise ti"ingand distribution o$ these i"pats are unertain.@ See p. =C o$ the report.

Although "illions o$ years ago +42 le%els were higher, today)s hange is ourring rapidly, gi%ing "any

"arine organis"s too little ti"e to adapt. So"e "arine reatures are growing thinner shells or s'eletons, $or

e&a"ple. So"e o$ these reatures play a ruial role in the $ood hain, and in eosyste" biodi%ersity.

+lay ani"ation by shool hildren: The other +42 proble", 6arh 25, 200- o""issioned by (P4+A

So"e speies "ay bene$it $ro" the e&tra arbon dio&ide, and a $ew years ago sientists and organi7ations, suh

as the (uropean Proet on 4+ean Aidi$iation, $or"ed to try to understand and assess the i"pats $urther.

4ne e&a"ple o$ reent $indings is a tiny sand grain#si7ed plan'ton responsible $or the seuestration o$ 2=G=0B

o$ the arbon the oeans absorb is a$$eted by inreasing oean aidi$iation. This tiny plan'ton plays a "aorrole in 'eeping at"ospheri arbon dio&ide +42 onentrations at "uh lower le%els than they would be

otherwise so large e$$ets on the" ould be uite serious.

4ther related proble"s reported by the nter *ress Service inlude "ore oeani dead 7ones areas where there

is too little o&ygen in the sea to support li$e and the deline o$ i"portant oastal plants and $orests, suh as"angro%e $orests that play an i"portant role in arbon absorption. This is on top o$ the already delining oean

biodi%ersity that has been happening $or a $ew deades, now.

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Increasing ocean stratification

As li"ate hange war"s the oeans e%en ust an inrease o$ about 0.2+ per deade, on a%erage, the war"er

water whih is lighter tends to stay on top o$ what is then a layer o$ older water.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=st3BlOKtvnAhttp://gbo3.cbd.int/http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/2009/videos/origin-and-impacts-ocean-acidification-part-3http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/2009/videos/origin-and-impacts-ocean-acidification-part-3http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/2009/videos/origin-and-impacts-ocean-acidification-part-3http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/2009/videos/origin-and-impacts-ocean-acidification-part-3http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=egIE08Pmg7chttp://www.epoca-project.eu/http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/03/10/851http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/03/10/851http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/05/15/1513http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctionshttp://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctionshttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=st3BlOKtvnAhttp://gbo3.cbd.int/http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/2009/videos/origin-and-impacts-ocean-acidification-part-3http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/2009/videos/origin-and-impacts-ocean-acidification-part-3http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=egIE08Pmg7chttp://www.epoca-project.eu/http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/03/10/851http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/03/10/851http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/05/15/1513http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctionshttp://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctionshttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-org


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Tiny phytoplan'ton: the $oundation o$ the oeani $ood hain. Soure: 4AA 6(SA Proet.

Phytoplan'ton *loo" in the orth Atlanti. Soure: ASA (arth

4bser%atory.

This a$$ets tiny dri$ting "arine organis"s 'nown as phytoplan'ton. Though s"all, ?Phytoplan'ton are aritial part o$ our planetary li$e support syste". They produe hal$ o$ the o&ygen we breathe, draw down

sur$ae +42, and ulti"ately support all o$ our $isheries,@ says *oris or" o$ +anada)s alhousie Uni%ersityand one o$ the world)s leading e&perts on the global oeans uoted by 9nter Press Ser%ie ; 9PS.

9n the sa"e news report, *S e&plains that phytoplan'ton an only li%e in the top 100 or 200 "eters o$ water, but i$ it is getting war"er, they e%entually run out o$ nutrients to $eed on unless the old, deeper waters "i&

with those near the sur$ae.

4ean strati$iation has been widely obser%ed in the past deade and is ourring in "ore and larger areas o$ the

world)s oeans, 9PS also adds.

Hesearhers ha%e $ound a diret orrelation between rising sea sur$ae te"peratures and the deline in phytoplan'ton growth around the world.

As ASA su""ari7es, strati$iation uts down the a"ount o$ arbon the oean an ta'e up.

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Increasing oceanic dead zones

The past hal$#entury has seen an e&plosi%e growth in auati dead 7ones, areas too low in dissol%ed o&ygen tosupport li$e.

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/fish1880.htmhttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44073http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44073http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52343http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52343http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OceanCarbon/http://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44677http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/fish1880.htmhttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44073http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44073http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52343http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52343http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OceanCarbon/http://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44677


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Auati dead 7ones o$tenour near high hu"an population density. Soure inluding larger i"age: ASA (arth 4bser%atory.

ertili7er and sewage run#o$$ ause huge growth o$ plan'ton. Fowe%er, these then ui'ly die and areonsu"ed by bateria that deplete waters o$ o&ygen. or e&a"ple, the 3ul$ o$ 6e&io has a 22,000 suare

'ilo"eter dead 7one e%ery spring due to run#o$$ $ro" the 6ississippi Hi%er.

There is also a lin'age with li"ate hange:

4ean strati$iation, where war" water sits $ir"ly on top o$ old, nutrient#rih water, also reates dead 7ones

and lowers the o%erall produti%ity o$ the oeans.8 Suh dead 7ones were rare


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+oral bleahing results in white, dead#loo'ing, oral. Fealthy oral is %ery olor$ul and rih with "arine li$e.

At the beginning o$ Septe"ber, 200-, the Australian ageny loo'ing a$ter the 3reat *arrier Hee$ released anoutloo' report warning the 3reat *arrier Hee$ is in trouble.

*ut it is not ust the 3reat *arrier Hee$ at ris'. All o$ the" are at ris' , says +harlie Ieron, an Australian "arine

biologist who is widely regarded as the world)s $ore"ost e&pert on oral ree$s.

?The $uture is horri$i@, he says. ?There is no hope o$ ree$s sur%i%ing to e%en "id#entury in any $or" that wenow reogni7e. 9$, and when, they go, they will ta'e with the" about one#third o$ the world)s "arine biodi%ersity. Then there is a do"ino e$$et, as ree$s $ail so will other eosyste"s. This is the path o$ a "ass

e&tintion e%ent, when "ost li$e, espeially tropial "arine li$e, goes e&tint.@

+oral ree$s pro%ide "any eosyste" ser%ies to hu"ans as well, $or $ree. This site)s page on oral ree$s goes

into these issues in "ore depth.

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Lizards threatened by climate change

9"age redit: 9'er +ortabarria

hat the BBC desribed as a ?global#sale study@ published in the ournal Science $ound that li"ate hange

ould wipe out 20B o$ the worldJs li7ard speies by 20C0.

3lobal proetion "odels used by the sientists suggested that ?li7ards ha%e already rossed a threshold $or

e&tintions aused by li"ate hange@.

The $ear o$ lowland speies "o%ing to higher ele%ations has long been predited as an e$$et o$ li"ate hange.This has been obser%ed with li7ard populations too, as the leader o$ the researh tea" told the BBC : ?e are

atually seeing lowland speies "o%ing upward in ele%ation, slowly dri%ing upland speies e&tint, and i$ the

upland speies an)t e%ol%e $ast enough then they)re going to ontinue to go e&tint.@

hy are li7ards so sensiti%e to li"ate hangeK The BBC su""ari7es:

Li7ards, the researhers say, are $ar "ore suseptible to li"ate#war"ing e&tintion than pre%iously thought.

6any speies li%e right at the edge o$ their ?ther"al li"its@.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/02/coral-catastrophic-futurehttp://www.globalissues.org/article/173/coral-reefshttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drag_(2563573605).jpghttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/328/5980/894http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/328/5980/894http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/02/coral-catastrophic-futurehttp://www.globalissues.org/article/173/coral-reefshttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drag_(2563573605).jpghttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/328/5980/894http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/328/5980/894


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Hising te"peratures, they e&plained, lea%e li7ards unable to spend su$$iient ti"e $oraging $or $ood, as they

ha%e to rest and regulate their body te"perature.

; -ictoria Gill, Cli.ate change lin! to li/ard etinction , BBC, #ay 1, 2010

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Other examplesThe abo%e areas o$ biodi%ersity a$$eted is by no "eans e&hausti%e. 4ther areas a$$eted by li"ate hange

inlude terrestrial ani"als, and $orests, water soures and related eologies, and so on. or "ore in$or"ation onthose areas, see this site)s setions on

• *iodi%ersity

• +li"ate +hange and 3lobal ar"ing

• ater and e%elop"ent
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10113949.stmhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://www.globalissues.org/issue/169/biodiversityhttp://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warminghttp://www.globalissues.org/article/601/water-and-developmenthttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10113949.stmhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity#globalissues-orghttp://www.globalissues.org/issue/169/biodiversityhttp://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warminghttp://www.globalissues.org/article/601/water-and-development

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Climate Change Affects Biodiversity