Global Climate Change and Ecosystem Impacts

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Global Climate Change and Ecosystem Impacts

• Sara Busken
• Mona shores High school

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Climate change is the departure from the expected
average weather or climate. (temperature
precipitation) These changes generally occur
over long periods of time, usually centuries or
longer. Occasionally, these changes can occur
more rapidly, in periods as short as decades.
Such climate changes are often characterized as
"abrupt." Source NOAA Paleoclimatology
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The Greenhouse Effect
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Greenhouse Gas Warming
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Keeling Curve
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CO2 per capita emissions 2000
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Projected CO2 per capita emissions 2025
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Modern Global Warming
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Carbon Dioxide and Global Temperature Correlations
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Average Global Temperatures 12-22 C Hot and
cold periods spanning millions of years
http//www.scotese.com/climate.htm
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• Global Climate Change
• Great Lake States
• General consensus predictions are for warmer
  conditions with moisture staying constant or
  increasing in the Lake States.
• Extreme weather events are also predicted to
  increase in frequency.

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N. America Annual Temperature Scenario 2050
Source http//atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/clim
atechange/scenarios/1
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N. America Annual Temperature Scenario 2100
Source http//atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/clim
atechange/scenarios/1
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Increased Temperature and Precipitation Effects

• Why are the Great Lakes water levels dropping
  despite increased precipitation?
• How will this impact Lake Effect snowfalls?

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Lands vulnerable to rise in sea level along the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts
http//yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/cont
ent/ResourceCenterPublicationsSLRMaps.html
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Climate Change Terrestrial Effects
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Michigan's Forest History
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Growing season in Michigan sugar maple forests
has lengthened 12 days since 1987.
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Aboveground wood increment has increased in
concert.
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• In the short term, longer growing seasons may
  improve forest productivity
• Will tree species acclimate to altered climate?
  (adjust their physiology so that their activity
  at a given temperature is lower)
• Acclimation would improve NPP (growth) by
  reducing unnecessary respiration, which otherwise
  might offset the positive effect of a longer
  growing season
• Leaf dark respiration does acclimate to warmer
  temperatures.
• Root respiration generally appears to not
  acclimate.

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What are WE doing to prevent Global Warming?
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Can YOU Change the World?
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Reduce Reuse Recycle

• You can make a difference