Threats To Ecosystems From Climate Change

Introduction

Climate change has emerged as one of the most important threats to life on Earth, with climate change accelerating worldwide. Evidence for this includes rising surface air temperatures, warming oceans, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, unusual weather patterns and frequent climate disturbances.

Human Activities: The Main Cause of Climate Change

The main cause of these changes is human activities, especially the emission of greenhouse gases. These gases absorb long-wave radiation in Earth’s atmosphere, bringing Earth closer to catastrophic destruction.

Despite a clear understanding of the situation, the global response has been limited to paper promises rather than substantive action. There is no relief from the worsening climate situation and no change is likely anytime soon. The essential message is that climate change represents a culmination of global problems and demands urgent attention from humanity.

Scientific Evidence and Climate Patterns

There is a lot of scientific evidence that shows that climate patterns have changed dramatically in recent decades. Some points are beyond scientific understanding, but if they are not addressed, the situation will worsen.

Even if emissions were to stop completely, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would continue to rise and remain high for centuries. Sea surfaces behave differently than continental surfaces with respect to temperature, so even if greenhouse gas emissions are stabilized or stopped, there will not be immediate relief from warming oceans.

The Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Currently, the signs of climate change may not seem important to the general public. However, climate change is an ongoing process that is likely to increase in both magnitude and number in the future. Climate change has affected our environment in various ways and continues to do so. For example, fluctuations in temperature may force birds to migrate to higher latitudes or higher altitudes where conditions are more suitable for their survival. Similarly, rising levels can cause seawater to enter freshwater systems, potentially leading to the extinction of key organisms, which in turn disrupts the food chain.

The United Nations’ Global Biodiversity Initiative highlights concerns about the impact of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity. It notes that “climate change is already affecting biodiversity and may become an increasingly important threat in the coming decades.”

Extreme Weather Events and Natural Disasters

The report also emphasizes that “Arctic marine Loss of ice threatens entire ecosystems and biodiversity beyond. Furthermore, ocean acidification is already being observed as a result of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The environment is currently showing negative impacts under the current severity of climate change, which is relatively modest compared to future projections.

Rising Temperatures and Extreme Weather Events

In addition to rising temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events and abnormal rainfall and drought patterns are expected to have a significant impact on biodiversity. Additional flooding is another devastating consequence of climate change.

Disruption of the Water Cycle

Most of the Earth’s surface is covered with water either in liquid form or as snow over a wide range of altitudes and latitudes. Water is constantly circulating through different forms. Mali, Evaporation, Rain or Snow The majority of Earth’s water is found in the oceans, followed by the polar ice sheets, with additional water found above and below the continental surface. This water cycle usually maintains a balance between its various forms and locations, ensuring stability. However, climate change has significantly affected this balance. Cyclone floods are not only becoming more frequent but also becoming more severe, wreaking havoc in different parts of the world. For example, in Pakistan, unusually heavy rains followed by severe floods, which occur almost every alternate year, turn into major natural disasters that cause widespread suffering. Similarly, in 2017, three consecutive hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean badly affected the coastal areas and also affected the interior of the continent.

Drought and Desertification

Drought and desertification are the causes and effects of climate change on continental lands. On the one hand, uneven distribution of water results in worsening weather conditions, resulting in prolonged droughts and increased droughts in some areas. On the other hand, the arrival of new pests and plant diseases destroys crops and plants in areas affected by temperature changes. More importantly, climate change also affects soil quality.The situation worsens in areas with limited water resources and irrigation infrastructure, leading to increased water scarcity. For example, Thal in southern Punjab and Thar in Sindh are among the dry plains of Pakistan. Due to lack of water, large areas of Sindh are barren and uninhabited. With each passing year, dwindling water supply and reduced rainfall contribute to the expansion of wetlands in the country. This incident is happening not only in Pakistan but all over the world.

The Increasing Scale of Disasters

Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and related disasters are not new phenomena. However, scientific evidence shows that climate change has increased both the number and scale of many weather disasters.

Statistical Evidence

According to The Guardian, the first decade of the 20th century saw 3,496 environmental disasters due to floods, storms, droughts and heat waves. This number is five times higher than the number reported in the early 1970s. Heat waves have become more deadly and floods costlier than in the past, leaving millions homeless. Wildfires have destroyed large areas of forests and grasslands in the United States and Australia in recent years. However, its causes should be addressed immediately. Just as it will take us a long time to destabilize the balance of the climate, it will take time to stabilize the situation

It will take time to do, not to mention reverse it. However, this does not mean that we should lose hope.