University of Bristol
Wellcome Trust
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Biodiversity

Habitat loss – Climate Change

  • It is now generally agreed that Global warming is really happening and will lead to climate change.
  • The Biodiversity and Climate Change website has considered the impact of climate change on key habitats. The table below summarises some of their findings.

Habitat Implications to habitat and biodiversity
Waters flow through marshy reed beds.

Wetlands

Some will dry out whilst others will flood (3-4 degree rise could eliminate 85% of wetlands)

Marshland

Coastal marshes

Sea level rise will eliminate many of these, especially if backed by agricultural or urban land (species will not be able to relocate)

A view through tree tops

Forests

Major change in vegetation types – new species

Mountain peaks stick up cold and hard through the rivers of ice.

Arctic habitats

Vast loss of tundra – thawing of permafrost (will add extra soil carbon dioxide into the air)

The view down a mountain valley in summer.

Mountains

Will get altitudinal migration, with invasion of alpine meadows by forest systems. High altitude may have no place to migrate upwards to.

A tropical island sits mere centimetres above the sea level.

Low lying island

Loss of land area due to sea level rise. Loss of seabird colonies.

Two people walk across a sand dune.

Arid regions

Deserts will become even hotter. Semi-arid will become arid with the loss of grassland and arable land

A blue feathery coral in clear water

Coral reefs

Rising temperatures will bleach corals. Increasing carbon dioxide levels may reduce calcification rates (coral skeletons)

A mangrove tree sits with its feet in the shallow water.

Mangroves

Will be ‘squeezed out’ as the sea and the land meet.

 

  Draw up a table and suggest why each habitat is important.

Look at biodiversity and special species.

Hint - typing ‘importance of wetlands’ or appropriate habitat into Google produces a mass of good websites.

 
 Biodiversity & Agriculture


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