ECOSYSTEMS

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Effects of climate change on ECOSYSTEMS The climate change effects felt by Earth’s ecosystems will depend on their sensitivity, their vulnerability, and their ability to adapt. These responses can lead to beneficial or harmful effects. There may be direct effects, such as reduced crop yields because of drought. Or effects may be indirect, such as climate change causing a rise in sea level, which then floods a coastal community causing extensive damage. Sensitivity is the degree to which a system will respond to a change in climatic conditions. An ecosystem may be quite sensitive, such as the southern arctic tundra where small changes in temperature can disrupt the delicate balance of permafrost and vegetation, leading to rapid changes. Or the ecosystem may be much less sensitive and a small change in temperature or precipitation is unlikely to have a big impact. Adaptive capacity is the ability of a system to adjust in response to projected or actual changes in climate. Adaptations can take two forms: they can reduce the negative impacts of climate change or they can take advantage of new opportunities presented by changing climatic conditions.

Impacts on Biomes and Biodiversity Scientists predict that climate change will significantly affect the land base and the living organisms and communities that depend on it. Global warming is recognized as a key threat to biodiversity. The natural environment is made up of major world communities or biomes. Biomes are natural regions that share similar climate characteristics and plant and animal communities. Scientists expect that more northerly regions such as Canada are likely to be among those areas most affected by climate change.


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