How is climate change impacting biodiversity in ecosystems?
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the variety of life on Earth in all its forms, from genes and bacteria to entire ecosystems such as forests or coral reefs. The biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans. Biodiversity forms the web of life that we depend on for so many things: food, water, medicine, a stable climate, and economic growth, among others. Over half of the global GDP is dependent on nature. More than 1 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods. And land and the ocean absorb more than half of all carbon emissions.
But nature is in crisis. Up to one million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. Irreplaceable ecosystems, like parts of the Amazon rainforest, are turning carbon sinks into carbon sources due to deforestation. And 85 percent of wetlands, such as salt marshes and mangrove swamps, which absorb large amounts of carbon, have disappeared.
The main driver of biodiversity loss remains humans’ use of land, primarily for food production. Human activity has already altered over 70 percent of all ice-free land. When land is converted for agriculture, some animal and plant species may lose their habitat and face extinction.
But climate change is playing an increasingly important role in the decline of biodiversity. Climate change has altered marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems around the world. It has caused the loss of local species, increased diseases, and driven mass mortality of plants and animals, resulting in the first climate-driven extinctions.
On land, higher temperatures have forced animals and plants to move to higher elevations or higher latitudes, many moving towards the Earth’s poles, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems. The risk of species extinction increases with every degree of warming.
Climate change is having profound and multifaceted impacts on biodiversity across various ecosystems. These impacts can be broadly categorized into alterations in species distribution, changes in phenology (timing of biological events), disruption of ecological interactions, and habitat loss or modification. Here are some key ways climate change is affecting biodiversity:
1. Changes in Species and Populations: As the climate changes, some species will adapt by changing their behavior, physical characteristics, or how their bodies function. Others will not be able to adapt. As a result, climate change could lead to the expansion, reduction, or extinction of some populations. These changes, in turn, can affect the overall biodiversity of a region.
Plants and animals may also change the geographic range they inhabit in response to changing climatic conditions. Changing temperatures and water conditions have already altered the ranges of many plants and animals. As temperatures have warmed in the United States, some land animals have moved to the (typically cooler) north by an average of 3.8 miles per decade. Some marine species have also shifted north by more than 17 miles per decade.
2. Changes in the Timing of Natural Events and Cycles: Many plants and animals rely on cues in nature, including temperature and water conditions, to trigger certain stages of their life cycles. As the climate changes, these cues can change at different rates, or potentially not all. As a result, species that depend on one another at certain times of the year may no longer be in sync.
For example, plankton are an important food source for young fish, but they tend to react more quickly to changes in temperature than the fish. This means the plankton might not be as available when growing fish need it most. Also, if a bird migrates at the same time each year, it could reach its destination to find that, due to shifting temperatures, its main food source grew too early and is no longer available.
3. Changes in Ecosystem Interactions: Climate change is also changing the way species and populations interact with the environment and one another. These impacts can be felt throughout an entire ecosystem.
For example, climate change is increasing the spread of invasive species in some areas. An invasive species is one that is not native to an area. Invasive species can outcompete native plants and animals, bring in new diseases, and cause other problems. These changes can create significant environmental and economic harm.
As ocean water warms, invasive fish species, such as the tropical lionfish, are expected to move north along the Atlantic coast, threatening native species. This can also hurt humans, as lionfish are venomous and can sting people.
Climate change can also affect food webs. A food web is the whole set of feeding relationships among different organisms in an ecosystem. At the bottom of a food web are organisms like plants and plankton. Other animals, higher in the web, rely on them as food sources. Climate impacts on any part of the food web can affect the whole system and even other ecosystems altogether. From the example above, if young fish cannot find enough food in the estuaries, their predators in the ocean could feel the effects as well.
4. Altered or Reduced Ecosystem Services: Climate change is affecting some of the critical services that ecosystems provide to society. For example, ecosystems provide a bounty of food to people. Climate changes, like drought and heat, could affect the availability and quality of some foods, as well as farmers’ ability to grow certain crops.
Climate change can also affect ecosystem services such as carbon capture and storage. Forest ecosystems play a critical role in the carbon cycle, helping to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in roots, soil, and the forest floor. But climate-driven increases in wildfires, flooding, pests, and diseases can limit the ability of an ecosystem to provide this important service.
5. Phenological Changes: Climate change affects the timing of key life events, such as flowering, breeding, and migration. For example, some plants are blooming earlier, and many bird species are migrating sooner or extending their stay on breeding grounds. This can lead to mismatches between species, such as pollinators arriving after peak flowering.
In summary, climate change is significantly altering ecosystems and biodiversity through a variety of mechanisms, resulting in shifts in species distribution, changes in life cycle events, disrupted ecological relationships, habitat loss, and increased extinction risks. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated global efforts in conservation and climate change mitigation.
To know more about the cause of biodiversity loss or biodiversity change, click below:
https://weatherclash.com/index.php/2024/05/21/what-are-the-causes-of-ecosystem-biodiversity-change/
