Climate change.

Climate change?

Long term alteration in temp, precipitation and other atmospheric conditions on earth

Greenhouse effect?

A natural process where certain gases in each atmosphere trap heat keeping our plant warm enough to support life

Anthropogenic sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide?

• Fossil fuels 

• Forest fires 

• Drainage and decomposition of burning  peat 

Anthropogenic sources of atmospheric Methane?

• Anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in landfill sites 

• Leaks during fossil fuel extraction 

• Digestive systems of animals 

Feedback loop?

A circular process where the output of a system influences its input creating a continuous cycle

Positive feedback loop?

Amplification of a process by its end product

Negative feedback loop?

Stabilizes a system by counteracting change 

Example of the postivie feedback loop?

• Increased cloud cover reflecting more sunlight

• Increased wild fires releasing more co2

• Global warming causing temps to rise reducing the solubility of co2

• Thawing permafrost releasing methane

• Snow reflecting solar radiation back out to space

Tipping point?

The point at which ecosystems are out of their normal range of temp causing them to change from carbon sources to carbon sinks

Climate change effects on the boreal forest?

• Increased drought 

• Reduced primary production 

• Forest burning 

• Instead of keeping the earth cool they release carbon 

Polar landfasts?

Ice attached to coastline or sea floors

How do changes to polar landfasts affect emperor penguins?

Emperor penguins that use the ice to hatch during the winter dont have landfasts and their chicks die

How do changes to polar landfasts affect walruses? 

Walruses that depend on the ice for resting and protection have and increased vulnerability to predators and reduced food acess

Upwelling?

Natural fertilizer system for the ocean bringing nutrients from deep sea to the surface

How does climate change affect upwelling?

• Warming surfaces creating a barrier that blocks upwelling

• Wind patterns changing alterling upwelling strength

• Ocean stratification making it hard for deep water to reach the surface

Ocean stratification?

The natural layering of ocean water that is determined by temp and salinity 

What does the decrease of upwelling do to marine food chains?

Decline the consumption at trophic levels and phytoplankton population decline

Range shift?

The movement of a species habitat in responses to environmental changes such as climate changes

Poleward movement?

• When species move towards the poles 

Upslope movement?

When species move to higher elevation in mountain regions

Example of upslope shift?

• New Guinean tropical montane birds going to cooler higher habitats

• North american tree species shifting to north away from the inhabitable south

Why are tropical montane species more sensitive to temp shifts?

They are adapted to stable warm climates with narrow temp ranges

How does atmpospheric co2 concentration affect ocean PH

Carbon dioxide reacts with water forming carbonic acid tat dissociate hydrogen and reducing the concentration of hydrogen ions

How does lower PH’s affect coral reefs?

As the oceans ph increases ocean acidification occurs and waters warm causing zooxanthellae to be ejected from coral resulting in coral bleaching

How does coral bleaching affect reef ecoystems?

Coral reefs are a keystone species and without them marine life loss habitats and hard structure for organism to attach to 

Afforestation? (a biological approach to carbon sequestration)

Planting trees in areas where they currently do not exist

Restoration of peatlands? (a biological approach to carbon sequestraion)

Restoring peatlands to reduced the amount of decomposition and support the accumulation of peat

Carbon sequestration?

Capture and storage of carbon dioxide