Lecture 35 Ecosystem Ecology & Climate Change (Video 2)

an organism expresses different traits depending on environmental conditions

acclimation (plasticity)

3 potential responses to the effect of evolution & ecology are?

acclimation (plasticity), adaptation, extinction

a change in population allele frequency due to natural selection

adaptation

is the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area

climate

detectable change in long-term averages of the global surface temperature

climate change

no plasticity or adaptation

extinction

the long-term warming of the planet

global warming

absorb heat emitted from Earth's surface and re-radiate heat back to Earth

greenhouse gasses

Greatest current cause of extinction

habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, climate change

Are climate changes of a few degrees a cause for concern?

more frequent wildfires, longer periods of drought in some regions, increase in the number, duration & intensity of tropical storms

what does climate change encompass through its broad range of changes that are happening to our planet

rising sea levels • shrinking mountain glaciers • accelerating ice melt in Greenland, Antarctica, and the Arctic • in flower/plant blooming times • more extreme weather events

short-term (minutes to months) changes in the atmosphere

weather

What are some potential solutions to climate change?

work on stabilizing greenhouse gas levels, have treaties to implement global response

How does the greenhouse effect work?

• Increases in the concentration of greenhouse gasses trap more heat. • Human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels since the start of the Industrial Revolution, have increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations by about 40%.