Climate Change from Forest to Corals

Group:Javier A. Montenegro G.

Aaron OuchiOktiyas Muzaky Luthfi

Md Kamruzzaman

University of the Ryukyus

2011

Climate Change

Definition: • Changes in concentrations of greenhouse gases (water vapor, CO2, CH4, N2O, and

CFCs), that trap infrared radiation from the Earth's surface and cause the greenhouse effect. This effect is natural and helps to stabilize the climate on earth.

Why?

Consequences:

Anthropogenic:- Fossil fuel combustion- Deforestation- Industrial processes

Natural:- Plate tectonics- Volcanism- Ocean variability

Large Scale:- Orbital variations- Solar output

Capture Infrared Rad. Air Temperature Precipitation Patterns Sea Level

Glacial Melting

Role of Forest

Importance:- Photosynthesis binds CO2 and stores it in

leaves, branches, trunks, roots and soils.

- CO2 stored in forest ecosystems is calculated in 4,500 gigatons.

- > World Remaining Oil Stocks.

- > Amount of Carbon in the Atmosphere.

Deforestation:- Release the Sequestrated CO2.

- Produce 15% of CO2 emission.

- Lost of 13 million hectares/year.

Global Warming vs. Forest

Sea Level Rise: • Salt water intrusion

• Habitat modification and lost• Costal erosion

Temperature Increase: • Longer hot seasons

• Susceptibility to diseases and pest • Dry of wetlands (Swamp Forest)

Changes in Rain Fall Patterns • Longer dry seasons

• Desertification• Increase of fire risk

• Increase of flood in rainy season• Soil erosion• Tear off of leaves• Hamper of reproduction

CO2 vs. Coral Calcification

The way that corals create their calcium carbonate skeleton (CaCO3)

Ca2+ + 2HCO3- CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O

Carbonate equilibrium equation:

CO2 + H2O ↔ H2CO3 ↔ HCO3- + H+ ↔ CO3

2- + 2H+

•HCO3- is the most common form in ocean pH

Looking at the equations, one can induce:

•Increases in atmospheric CO2 increases in oceanic HCO3-

•Increase in calcification on the reef

Image source: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~sanpisa/OceanSed%20project/factorscontrolcarbonate.htm

CO2 vs. Coral Calcification

However, the pH is also lowered which causes dissolution of CaCO3.

•Light raise calcification rates by 3-5 times compared to dark (Gattuso et. al 1999).

N. R. Bates et al.: Feedbacks and responses of coral calcification on the Bermuda reef

H. Fujimura et al. / J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods 70 (2008) 865–872

•When temperatures became too low abnormalities in growth are present (Omata et. al 2006).

•Over 31˚C, calcification rate is greatly reduced and can eventually be overtaken by dissolution (Fujimura et al. 2008)

Coral Calcification vs. Temperature

Climate Change vs. Coral Bleaching

Definition:- The loss of color, arising from the partial to total elimination of

the zooxanthellae population or degradation of algal pigments.

Why?

Stressors:- Elevated Temperature- Elevated Irradiance- Prolonged Darkness- Heavy Metals (Cu, Cd)- Pathogens (Vibrio shiloi)

Mechanisms:- Damage of Photosynthesis of zooxanthellae- Toxin V. shiloi- Changes in proteins phosphorylation- Necrotic and Apoptotic pathway

Symptoms:- Lost of Color.- Lost of zooxanthellae

70 - 90%

What we can do?

http://coris.noaa.gov/activities/reef_managers_guide/

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What Corals Are Doing?

Bleach Adaptive Hypothesis• “When environmental circumstances

change, the loss of one or more kinds of zooxanthellae is followed by formation of a new symbiotic consortium that are more suited survive in the new conditions.”

Evidence (Kinzie III et al, 2001):• New symbionts can be acquired when the

alga concentrations are very low.

• Different Strains of Zooxanthellae exhibit different responses to temperature.

• Bleached Adults can acquire symbiontsfrom the water column.

Coral resistance to Vibrio shiloi infection.

Oculina patagonica:

Collected Before 2003Collected After 2003

Social-Economic Impact

Martínez et al. 2007. The coasts of our world: Ecological, economic and social importance. Ecological economics 63:254–272

Goods / Services Value

Fisheries $5.7 billion

Coastal Protection $9.0 billion

Tourism / Recreation $9.6 billion

Aesthetics / Biodiversity $5.5 billion

Total $29.8 billion

Net Present Value $797.4 billion

The Value of Coral Reefs (Cesar et al.2003).

• 53% of countries have 80-100% of their population located within 100 km from a coast

The climatic change is a natural process that affects all theecosystems in different ways. It is due to the direct influence ofincreased greenhouse gasses (CO2).

Summary

[CO2]

GHG