HELP OUR MOTHER EARTH

A presentation developed by the National Academy of Sciences based on its report Ecological Impacts of Climate Change (2009): www.nas.edu/climatechange.

National Academy of SciencesNational Academy of Engineering

Institute of MedicineNational Research Council

The Climate is Changing

• Temperatures are rising• Sea levels are rising• The ocean is acidifying• Climate change is reflected

in water cycle changes and in extreme weather

Temperature rise, indicated by color (red=higher rate of increase). Earth’s surface

temperature has risen ~1.3˚ F since 1850.

Image courtesy of the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere & Ocean, U. of Washington.



Ecological Impacts

Living things are intimately connected to their physical surroundings.

Ecosystems are affected by changes in: – temperature– rainfall/moisture– pH

– salinity (saltiness)– activities & distribution of other species– …many other factors



Ecological Impacts

As a result of climate change, species and ecosystems are experiencing changes in: – ranges– timing of biological activity– growth rates– relative abundance of species

– cycling of water and nutrients– the risk of disturbance from fire, insects, and invasive species



Ecological Impacts

• As a result of climate change, species and ecosystems are experiencing changes in: – ranges– timing of biological activity– growth rates– relative abundance of species




Range Shifts

Species are relocating to areas with more tolerable climate conditions.

Range shifts particularly threaten species that:

– cannot move fast enough – depend on conditions that are

becoming more rare (like sea ice)

Plant hardiness zone maps, 1990 and 2006. Most zones shifted northward in this period.

Map courtesy of the National Arbor Day Foundation.



Ecological Impacts

As a result of climate change, species and ecosystems are experiencing changes in: – ranges– timing of biological activity– growth rates– relative abundance of species




Timing of Biological Activity

Some seasonal biological activities are happening 15-20 days earlier than several decades ago:

– Trees blooming earlier

– Migrating birds arriving earlier

– Butterflies emerging earlier

Changes in timing differ from species to species, so ecological interactions are disrupted.

European pied flycatcher chicks are now born later than the caterpillars they eat.

Images used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.



Global Changes, Local ImpactsAlthough climate change is global, the

ecological impacts are often local.

What’s happening in your backyard?



HELP OUR MOTHER EARTH

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