4.B Flashcards
what are the risks of climate change to the polar regions?
marine ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems
no potential for additional adapation to reduce risk
polar bears - need ice flows to hunt. if that is gone they have nowhere to go
what are the risks of climate change to Africa?
compounded stress on water (drought and desertification)
reduced crop productiviity affects livelihoods and food security
vector and water bourne diseases
what are the risks of climate change to SIDS?
coastal flooding/erosion
loss of livelihoods, settlements, infrastructure, ecosystem services and economic stability
risks for low-lying coastal areas
what are the effects of global warming in the arctic?
ice is thinner
less extensive coverage, particularly in summer
what is biome shift?
many land, freshwater and ocean species are shifting their geographic ranges to cooler climates or higher altitudes, in an attempt to escape warming.
they’re changing seasonal behaviours and traditional migration patterns too
and yet many still face increased extinction risk due to climate change.
some examples of biome shifts that occurred include woodlands giving way to grasslands in the African Sahel, and shrublands encroaching onto tundra in the arctic
how does biome shift affect ecosystems?
the dieback of trees and shrubs in the Sahel leaves less wood for houses and cooking, while the contraction of Arctic tundra reduces habitat for caribou and other wildlife
globally vegetation shifts are disrupting ecosystems, reducing habitat for endangered species, and altering the forests that supply water and other services to many people.
ow have changes to vegetation occured as a result of climate change?
in canada and alaska, substantial changes in patterns of forest disturbance, including insect outbreaks, blowdown and fire, have been observed in both the boreal and southeast coastal forest.
rising temperatures have allowed spruce bark beetles to reproduce at twice their normal rate. A sustained outbreak on the Kenai Peninsula has caused over 2.3 million acres of tree mortality, the largest loss from a single outbreak recorded in N America
how have the spruce beetles been disastrous for ecosystems in Alaska?
rising temperatures have allowed spruce bark beetles to reproduce at twice their normal rate.
A sustained outbreak on the Kenai Peninsula has caused over 2.3 million acres of tree mortality, the largest loss from a single outbreak recorded in N America
what impact is biome shift going to have on the climate - ALBEDO EFFECT?
WILL EXACERBATE THE ALBEDO EFFECT
- when snow falls on the tundra’s shrubs, it creates a continuous white blanket that reflects the sun’s energy back into space
- biome shift = more tree growth in the mild Eurasian piece of the Arctic. 10-15% is now covered in tree-size shrubs
- trees rise above the snow, breaking up the white and darkening the land surface
- as a result less energy is reflected back into space and more is absorbed, resulting in warming (PFL)
hat impact is biome shift going to have on the climate?
will exacerbate albedo effect
will reduce habitat for caribou and other wildlife
dieback of trees and shrubs in Sahel = less wood for houses and cooking
globally vegetation shifts are disrupting ecosystems, altering the forests that supply water and other services to many people
trees are slow growing. net gain/carbon absorption are outweighed by loss of permafrost/albedo effect.
how can an increase in sea surface temperatures be devastating for the Arctic ecosystem?
upwelling of nutrients is cut off
phytoplankton can’t grow
phytoplankton play a big role in removing GHG emissions from atmosphere, and are also the foundation of the ocean food chain
as nutrients become scarce at the surface, where the phytoplankton grow, productivity declines
how are the Alaskan Gwich’in people vulnerable to the impacts of global warming?
hunting is what puts food on the table. they survive mostly from hunting caribou
the impacts of oil drilling for the developed world are felt more intensely w/in this part of the Yukon
less snowfall = snowmobile/sled transportation = more difficult
ice is too thin to carry heavy loads and calves drown when they try to cross rivers that are usually frozen
not possible to import food = very expensive
in 10 years = 25% drop in caribou
what makes SIDS vulnerable?
ow lying
substicence lifestyle.
biome shift + ocean temps increasing = fish farming changes
often poor nations
how is climate change affecting the Maldives?
According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) projections, the predicted sea-level rise of 0.5-0.8 metres will mean that Maldives will lose most of its land area by the year 2100.
Maldives, being the lowest-lying country in the world, with no immediate neighbours on the mainland, a high population density, and an over-reliance on climate-sensitive sectors such as tourism and fisheries to fuel its economy, is highly vulnerable to climate change.
The then Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed hosted an underwater cabinet meeting in October 2009 in an emotional appeal to attract global focus to their plight.
what are the PHYSICAL IMPACTS of climate change on the Maldives?
As the flattest country on Earth, the Republic of Maldives is extremely vulnerable to rising sea level and faces the very real possibility that the majority of its land area will be underwater by the end of this century.
Today, the white sand beaches and extensive coral reefs of the Maldives’ 1,190 islands draw more than 600,000 tourists annually.
Sea level rise is likely to worsen existing environmental stresses in the Maldives, such as periodic flooding from storm surges, and a scarcity of freshwater for drinking and other purposes.
Given mid–level scenarios for global warming emissions, the Maldives is projected to experience sea level rise on the order of 1.5 feet (half a meter)—and to lose some 77 percent of its land area—by around the year 2100.
If sea level were instead to rise by 3 feet (1 meter), the Maldives could be almost completely inundated by about 2085.
At the current rate of global warming, almost 80% of the Maldives could become uninhabitable by 2050
Monsoons and tropical storms are more frequent and more violent. They are exaggerating natural coastal erosion and making it happen much more quickly.
