Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
d. Disturbance regimes and ecosystem-level change
Climate change stressors
Increased summer
temperature
Impact mechanism
Biodiversity impact
Insect epidemic
Changes in forest
ecosystem structure
and function
Forest drought
stressed trees and
drying of fuels
Decreased summer
precipitation
Change in ecosystem
type and distribution
Major wildfires
Impact of climate change on the freshwater realm
a.
Hydrological cycle change
: Reduced surface water
availability
Climate change stressors
Impact mechanism
Biodiversity impact
Increased surface
air temperature
Contraction of
freshwater habitat
Population
impacts
Molecular
damage to
aquatic
organism
Local
species
extirpation
Evapotranspiration
precipitation
Decreased surface
water flows
Increased water
clarity and
UV penetration
b.
Hydrological cycle change
: Increased surface water
availability
Climate change stressors
Impact mechanism
Biodiversity impact
Evapotranspiration
precipitation
Changes in
river morphology
Increased surface
air temperature
via
Erosion and
sedimentation
Aquatic
habitat
impacts
Increased surface
water flows
Population
impacts
Increased glacial
melt
human
activities add
fuel to the
biodiversity
threat
Human-induced pressure on biological diversity is increasing
day by day. The burning of coal, oil and natural gas, as well
as deforestation and various agricultural and industrial prac-
tices are altering the composition of the atmosphere and con-
tributing to climate change. These human activities have led
to increased atmospheric concentrations of a number of green-
house gasses, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
