1. Changing environments
As the climate changes
All ecosystems are affected
We need functioning sustainable ecosystems to maintain water quality, store carbon, dispose of natural wastes, remove pollination, maintain genetic diversity

2. Predictions
Lots of predictions have been made from various computer generated models of climate change but all agree that not all the earth will be affected in the same way
Oceans won’t warm as much as the land
Greatest temp increase will be in northern hemisphere
Land covered in snow will decrease/ ice at both poles will reduce
Heatwaves and tropical cyclones will increase
More precipitations in the poles
But less rain in the Mediterranean, parts of Queensland and Western Australia

3. WHO WILL SURVIVE!!!
History tells us climate change has caused species to die out & Ecosystems
Arguments as to whether it was pure climate or humans hunting
That caused some extinctions
Warmer climates don’t kill
All species-some move
towards the poles/colder-equator

4. Urbanisation
Some ecosystems destroyed due to building/land clearing etc.
Makes it more difficult for animals to move away and find new suitable areas
This destruction has caused reduction in biodiversity
Australia has huge diversity in both its plants and animals many unique just to us

5. GREAT BARRIER REEF Coral very sensitive to minute changes in temp
Causes severe stress to coral
Corals depend on relationships with unicellular photosynthetic protists that live within their cells- these protozoans provide nutrition and give corals their colour
Corals stress- expels the protists- loses colour-called bleaching-some never recover from this process
Coral dies-reefs taken over by Algae
Pictures to follow………

6. What the protist looks like under a microscope
Other organisms depend on coral for food and shelter – so they die out too

7. Australian specifics
KAKADU- changes to fire regimes, sea levels and increased storms are results of climate change
The large wet lands in Kakadu –fresh water-home to some rare and endangered species such as Magpie geese- have problems- they are often low lying wetlands and rise in sea levels could increase their salinity and these and other organisms will either leave or die.
The ecosystem will change as organisms that can tolerate higher salt levels move in
Flooding allows weeds to flourish/ ferral animals to migrate in like toads and water buffalo- these further destroy original ecosystems

8. SPECIES ON THE MOVE
Long Spined Sea Urchin- common in south eastern Australian waters is moving towards Tasmania
This could damage shallow reef ecosystems and the commercial abalone and rock lobster industries
Believed to be moving due to a strengthening of the East Australian current-that carries the larvae south

9. CHANGE IN SEA LEVEL
sea levels have been both higher and lower in the past than they are today
If all the ice on earth were to melt seas would rise about 70 metres
However climate change models do not suggest this will happen
However as most cities are on the coast any rise in sea level is a concern
Buildings, unlike animals and earlier humans living on coastal areas cannot just move inland as the sea rises- so huge economic impact could be felt