Introduction - Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Ecosystems - page 5

Fraction of potential area converted

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 70 80 90 100%

Mediterranean forests,
woodlands and scrub

Temperate forest
steppe and woodland
Temperate broadleaf
and mixed forests
Tropical and
subtropical dry
broadleaf forests
Flooded grasslands
and savannas
Tropical and subtropical
grasslands, savannas
and shrublands
Tropical and subtropical
coniferous forests

Deserts

Montane grasslands
and shrublands

Tropical and subtropical
moist broadleaf forests
Temperate
coniferous forests
Boreal
forests

Tundra

Conversion of original biomes

Projected loss
by 2050 b

Loss by
1950

Loss between
1950 and 1990

a A biome is the largest unit of ecological classification that is convenient to recognize below the
entire globe, such as temperate broadleaf forests or montane grasslands. A biome is a widely
used ecological categorization, and becuase considerable ecological data have been reported
and modelling undertaken using this categorization, some information in this assessment can
only be reported based on biomes. Whenever possible, however, the MA reports information
using 10 socioecological systems, such as forest, cultivated, coastal and marine, because these
correspond to the regions of responsibility of different government ministries and because they
are the categories used within the Convention on Biological Diversity.

b According to the four MA scenarios. For 2050 projections, the average value of the projections
under the four scenarios is plotted and the error bars (black lines) represent the range
of values from the different scenarios.

Figure 1.3 Projected losses of major ecosystems and biomes a . (From Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment 2005.)