Does Climate Change Influence Biodiversity?

 What is biodiversity?

 Have the species that are here today always been here?  Will the species that are here today always be here?

Source: IUCN

Threat Status of Species

Background  Extinction is a part of life on earth. It is estimated that 99% of species that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct...  However, the decline in the biodiversity (the number of different species of organisms on Earth) that has occurred in the last few decades is rapidly declining (much faster than the normal extinction rate) and this has many scientists concerned.

 What factors may be influencing this more rapid decline of species and making them more vulnerable to becoming extinct?

 Why should we care?

 “In 2002 a Convention on Biological Diversity was held in The Hague, Netherlands, to address threats to Earth’s ecosystems. Given the state of rainforest deforestation, habitat destruction, and predicted global climate change, world leaders promised to “strengthen our efforts to halt biodiversity loss, which is taking place at an alarming rate... “

 “Climate change seems to be a major driver of the loss of biodiversity, and it is predicted to have an even greater impact in the decades to come. Melting Arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, warming temperatures, extreme weather, and rising sea levels will have a devastating effect on some species.”

Your Task  For your work on the United States Panel on Global Climate Change Research, you and your team of ecologists and environmental scientists have been studying some of the most exotic places on Earth.  Team members have scuba-dived around massive colorful coral reefs, studied deep ocean water, hiked through rainforests and collected soil samples.

 One important area of research on global climate change is the study of how climate might affect biodiversity.

 Your team is tasked with researching the predicted climate changes and the corresponding impact, if any, that the change will have on biodiversity. Your team must report both the changes and consequences.

 In order to present accurate, complete, and valid findings, you should consider the following:  What do the data indicate about Earth’s biodiversity? Identify any trends that occurred in biodiversity.  What are the impacts of changes to Earth’s physical environments on species diversity? Remember to report the impacts to humans, wildlife, ecosystems, etc...

 What appears to be the source/s of the changes? Can you identify a major cause?  What are the impacts of changes in Earth’s biodiversity?  What strategies do you see that could mitigate or lessen decreased species diversity? How long would the strategies take to make a difference?