Download Does Climate Change Influence Biodiversity

Does Climate
Change
Influence
Biodiversity?
 What
is biodiversity?
 Have
the species that are here today
always been here?
 Will the species that are here today
always be here?
Source: IUCN
Threat Status of Species
Background
 Extinction
is a part of life on earth. It is estimated
that 99% of species that have ever lived on Earth
are now extinct. . .
 However, the decline in the biodiversity (the
number of different species of organisms on Earth)
that has occurred in the last few decades is rapidly
declining (much faster than the normal extinction
rate) and this has many scientists concerned.
 What
factors may be influencing this more
rapid decline of species and making
them more vulnerable to becoming
extinct?
 Why
should we care?
 “In
2002 a Convention on Biological Diversity was
held in The Hague, Netherlands, to address threats
to Earth’s ecosystems. Given the state of rainforest
deforestation, habitat destruction, and predicted
global climate change, world leaders promised to
“strengthen our efforts to halt biodiversity loss, which
is taking place at an alarming rate . . . “
 “Climate
change seems to be a major
driver of the loss of biodiversity, and it is
predicted to have an even greater
impact in the decades to come. Melting
Arctic sea ice, ocean acidification,
warming temperatures, extreme weather,
and rising sea levels will have a
devastating effect on some species.”
Your Task
 For
your work on the United States Panel on Global
Climate Change Research, you and your team of
ecologists and environmental scientists have been
studying some of the most exotic places on Earth.
 Team members have scuba-dived around massive
colorful coral reefs, studied deep ocean water,
hiked through rainforests and collected soil samples.
 One
important area of research on global
climate change is the study of how
climate might affect biodiversity.
 Your
team is tasked with researching the
predicted climate changes and the
corresponding impact, if any, that the
change will have on biodiversity. Your
team must report both the changes and
consequences.
 In
order to present accurate, complete, and
valid findings, you should consider the
following:
 What
do the data indicate about Earth’s
biodiversity? Identify any trends that occurred in
biodiversity.
 What are the impacts of changes to Earth’s
physical environments on species diversity?
Remember to report the impacts to humans,
wildlife, ecosystems, etc. . .
 What
appears to be the source/s of the
changes? Can you identify a major
cause?
 What are the impacts of changes in
Earth’s biodiversity?
 What strategies do you see that could
mitigate or lessen decreased species
diversity? How long would the strategies
take to make a difference?