Effects Of Climate Change On The Earth – UF assistant professor Brett Scheffers discusses his recent research, in collaboration with more than a dozen authors from other universities and non-governmental organizations, that shows climate change is already on the rise as species try to adapt to rising temperatures.

More than a dozen authors from different universities and non-governmental organizations around the world have concluded, based on the analysis of hundreds of studies, that almost every aspect of life on Earth has been affected by climate change.

Effects Of Climate Change On The Earth

In more scientific language, we found in a paper published in Science that genes, species and ecosystems now show clear signs of impact. These responses to climate change include species’ genomes (genetics), their shapes, colors and sizes (morphology), their abundance, where they live and how they interact (distribution). The influence of climate change can now be traced back to smaller, more subtle processes down to entire communities and ecosystems.

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Some species have already begun to adapt. The color of some animals, such as butterflies, changes because dark-colored butterflies burn faster than light-colored butterflies, which have a warmer temperature edge. Salamanders in eastern North America and freshwater fish are shrinking in size because being smaller is more desirable in warm weather than in cold weather. In fact, there are now many examples around the world of cold-loving species being infected by warm-loving species expanding their ranges in response to climate change.

All these changes may seem small, even small, but when each species is affected in a different way these changes add up quickly and the collapse of the entire ecosystem is possible. This is not theoretical: Scientists have found that the cold-loving kelp forests of southern Australia, Japan and the northwest coast of the United States have not only collapsed due to warming but their regeneration has been halted by alternative species better adapted to warmer waters. .

Researchers are using many methods, including so-called regeneration ecology, to understand how species are coping with climate change by comparing past and present characteristics of species. And a small and seemingly insignificant creature leads.

A hundred years ago, a water flea (genus Daphnia), a tiny creature about the size of a pencil tip, swam in a cold lake in the upper northeastern U.S. looking for a partner. But this little female later laid a dozen or more eggs in the hopes of doing what Mother Nature intended – to give birth.

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Its eggs are unusual in that they have a hard, tough coat that protects them from harsh conditions such as extreme cold and drought. These eggs have evolved to remain viable for an unusual amount of time and so they lay at the bottom of the lake waiting for favorable conditions to hatch.

Fast forward a century: A researcher interested in climate change has dug up these eggs, which are now buried under layers of sediment that have accumulated over the years. He takes them to his lab and amazingly, they hatch, allowing him to show one thing: that ancient people are of a different architecture than those living in a warmer world today. There is evidence of responses at every level from genetics to physiology to the societal level.

By combining multiple research methods in the field and in the laboratory, we now have a definitive view of the breadth of climate change impacts on this group of animals. More importantly, this example provides the most comprehensive evidence of how climate change can affect all the processes that govern life on Earth.

Water flea research and regeneration ecology is just one of the many ways that thousands of geneticists, evolutionary scientists, ecologists and geographers around the world are assessing whether – and how – species are coping with current climate change.

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Other modern tools include drilling that can sample gas trapped several miles beneath the Antarctic ice sheet to document past climates and modern submarines and hot air balloons that measure current climates.

Warmer temperatures are already affecting some species in visible ways. Sea turtles in black sand, for example, are more likely to be female because of the higher temperatures. levork/flickr, CC BY-SA

Researchers are also using modern genetic samples to understand how climate change affects species’ genes, while regenerative ecology helps understand changes in physiology. Traditional methods such as studying museum specimens are ideal for documenting changes in species morphology over time.

Some rely on unique geological and physical features of landscapes to assess responses to climate change. For example, dark sand beaches are hotter than light sand beaches because the black color absorbs more of the sun’s rays. This means that sea turtles breeding on black sand beaches are more likely to be female due to a process called temperature-dependent sex determination. So with higher temperatures, climate change will have an overall female effect on sea turtles worldwide.

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Dusting off the many volumes of natural history from the forefathers and forefathers of natural history, who first documented species distributions in the late 1800s and early 1900s, also provides invaluable insight into comparing species distributions. historical and present-day distribution.

For example, Joseph Grinnell’s extensive field studies in early 1900s California led to a study of how the variety of birds there changed with altitude. In mountains around the world, there is abundant evidence that all forms of life, such as mammals, birds, butterflies and trees, are moving to cooler altitudes as the climate warms.

This global response occurred with only 1 degree Celsius of warming since pre-industrial times. However the most conservative forecasts suggest that we will see at least an increase of up to 2-3 degrees Celsius over the next 50 to 100 years unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut quickly.

All of this poses a major problem for humans because there is now evidence that the same disturbances documented in nature are also occurring in the resources we depend on such as crops, livestock, timber and fisheries. This is because these systems that humans rely on are governed by the same ecological principles that govern the natural world.

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Examples include a decrease in the yield of crops and fruits, an increase in the use of crops and wood and insects and changes in the distribution of fisheries. Other possible consequences include the decline of plant pollination networks and pollination services from bees.

Bleached corals are the result of high acidification of the sea due to CO2 absorption. Coral reefs provide an important service to people who depend on healthy fisheries for food. Oregon State University, CC BY-SA

Further impacts on our health may result from the decline of natural systems such as coral reefs and mangroves, which provide natural protection from storm surges, expanding or new disease vectors and the redistribution of suitable land. All this means an unpredictable future for mankind.

The research has major implications for the global climate change agreement, which aims to limit warming to 1.5C. If humanity wants our natural systems to continue to provide the natural services we depend on so much, now is not the time for nations like the United States to back away from international climate change commitments. Indeed, if this study tells us anything it is important for all nations to step up their efforts.

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Humans need to do what nature is trying to do: recognize that change is upon us and adjust our behavior in ways that prevent serious, long-term consequences. , is an ongoing process. Ecosystems and communities in the United States and around the world are being affected today.

A collage of common weather and climate-related events: floods, heat waves, droughts, hurricanes, wildfires and ice sheet loss. (Image credit:)

Global temperatures rose by about 1.98°F (1.1°C) from 1901 to 2020, but climate change refers to more than just warming. It also includes sea level rise, climate change such as droughts and floods, and much more. The things we depend on and value – water, energy, transport, wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems and human health – are experiencing the effects of climate change.

The effects of climate change in various sectors of society are related. Drought can harm food production and human health. Flooding can lead to the spread of disease and damage to ecosystems and infrastructure. Human health issues can increase mortality, affect food availability, and reduce worker productivity. The effects of climate change are felt in every aspect of the world we live in. However, the effects of climate change are not uniform across countries and around the world – even in the same community, the effects of climate change can vary between neighborhoods or individuals. Long-term socioeconomic inequality can make disadvantaged groups, which often have higher exposure to risk and fewer resources to cope with more risk.

Climate Change Is Affecting All Life On Earth

Projections of a future affected by climate change are inevitable. Many off-site problems and solutions are known to us now, and ongoing research continues to produce new ones. Experts believe there is still time to prevent the worst consequences by reducing the off-site heating link and reducing emissions to zero as soon as possible. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will reduce

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