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Effects on biodiversity, by Koen and Christopher

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SKIP
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In this presentation, we will talk about greenhouse gases and their effect,
Animal deaths and extinctions and human causes.
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First, Biodiversity
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So, what is biodiversity? Biodiversity is all of the living organisms on Earth,
such as bacterias, animals and plants. Biodiversity is also the process which
supports life on earth. Without a wide range of animals, plants and
microorganisms, we cannot have healthy ecosystems.
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Greenhouse gases
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Greenhouse gases or GHGs are gases in the Earth's surroundings that
produce and trap heat.
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Greenhouse gases can be both naturally produced through natural chemical
processes as well as the usage of/artificial production of chemicals. While
there are many different greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, there are 4
primary ones which are the most abundant and/or trap the most heat.
Carbon dioxide: The primary source of carbon for life on earth and
prominent GHG
Methane: A hydrocarbon and primary component of natural gases
Nitrous oxide: "Laughing gas", a gas naturally present from the nitrogen
cycle
F gases: Artificial fluorinated gases, typically hydrofluorocarbons
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Temperature
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So now, we will be talking about three major issues that are created because
of climate change, the melting glacier levels, the forest fires and the water
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 levels
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The melting of glaciers is having a significant impact on biodiversity across
the globe. As the glaciers continue to melt, the changes will be detrimental
to many species which can potentially lead to extinction.
One major impact will come from the dramatic increase in CO2 emissions
that is a result of the melting of glaciers. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and as
the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, temperatures will
continue to rise, disrupting ecosystems and making it challenging for many
species to survive. This can lead to significant biodiversity loss, as species
that are unable to adapt will be lost forever.
Another impact will be felt through the direct effects of climate change that
are associated with glacier melting. As temperatures continue to rise, many
species will find it increasingly difficult to survive in their current habitats.
Species that rely on specific temperature ranges, and other environmental
factors will struggle to adapt to these changing conditions.
The last impact, the melting of glaciers will also have an impact on the
availability of freshwater resources that are essential to biodiversity. This
can lead to changes in the distribution of species, as well as it will take time
for the animals to adapt to their new surroundings.
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As water levels continue to rise across the globe, biodiversity underwater is
constantly destroyed. From the ways in which different water types are
entering ecosystems to the increased frequency of floods and damaging
storms, the consequences of rising water levels are having a significant
impact on biodiversity across the globe.
One major impact of rising water levels is the influx of different water types
into freshwater ecosystems. As saltwater from oceans and seas makes its
way into freshwater systems, the resulting changes in salt levels can have
serious problems for many species. These changes can lead to the
movement or loss of freshwater organisms, as well as disruptions to the food
web and nutrient cycling within these ecosystems.
Another impact is the increased frequency and severity of floods and
damaging storms. As water levels rise, more frequent and intense storm
events can lead to significant erosion, loss of habitat, and changes in the
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 nutrient content of aquatic environments. Thirdly, the contamination of
freshwater systems is a significant concern as water levels continue to rise.
The quality of freshwater resources is diminishing. This can lead to pollution
and contamination as chemical excesses and other pollutants make their
way into freshwater systems, endangering many aquatic ecosystems.
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Deaths and extinctions
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With glaciers melting and sea levels rising, a lot of animals are being
affected, most notably: polar bears, penguins, rats, budworms, turtles and
salmon.
Polar bears, which rely heavily on sea ice for hunting and breeding, are
facing significant challenges as the Arctic continues to warm. As glaciers
continue to shrink, polar bears face populations of their prey decreasing. In
addition to needing the ice to live and hunt as polar bears are not known to
be good swimmers, their population will quickly plummet if the ice keeps
melting.
Penguins, which live in extreme environments in Antarctica on the other side
of the world, are similarly at risk from glacier melting and rising sea levels.
Penguins must work harder to find food and protect their chicks.
Additionally, rising sea levels can lead to flooding in penguin habitats,
putting eggs and chicks at risk.
Sea turtles, which live in many warm-water ecosystems around the world,
are also facing significant challenges from rising sea levels. As more land is
lost to the sea, many turtle habitats and breeding areas/nests are being
destroyed. Additionally, changes in ocean temperatures and salinity can
disrupt the reproductive cycles of these and other sea animals.
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Human Impact
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Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, animals, plants, fungi, and even
microorganisms like bacteria. Each of these species and organisms work
together in ecosystems, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity
supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water,
medicine, and shelter. And land and the ocean absorb more than half of all
carbon emissions.
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 Found an average 69% decline in global populations of mammals, fish, birds,
reptiles, and amphibians since 1970. Reported 1 million animal and plant
species are now threatened with extinction—the highest number in human
history.
Three-quarters of the land-based environment and roughly 66% of the ocean
environment have been significantly altered. More than a third of the world's
land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to
crop or livestock production. Climate change worsens the impact of other
stressors on nature and our well-being. Humans have overfished the oceans,
cleared forests, polluted our water sources, and created a climate crisis. Up
to one million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades.
Irreplaceable ecosystems like parts of the Amazon rainforest are turning
from carbon sinks into carbon sources due to deforestation. And 85 per cent
of wetlands, such as salt marshes and mangrove swamps which absorb
large amounts of carbon, have disappeared.
How is climate change affecting biodiversity?
The main driver of biodiversity loss remains humans’ use of land. When land
is converted for agriculture, some animal and plant species may lose their
habitat and face extinction.
But climate change is playing an increasingly important role in the decline of
biodiversity. It has caused the loss of local species, increased diseases, and
driven mass mortality of plants and animals, resulting in the first climate-
driven extinctions.
On land, higher temperatures have forced animals and plants to move to
higher elevations or higher latitudes, with far-reaching consequences for
ecosystems. The risk of species extinction increases with every degree of
warming.
In the ocean, rising temperatures increase the risk of irreversible loss of
marine and coastal ecosystems. Live coral reefs, for instance, have nearly
halved in the past 150 years, and further warming threatens to destroy
almost all remaining reefs.
Overall, climate change affects the health of ecosystems, influencing shifts
in the distribution of plants, viruses, animals, and even human settlements.
When human activities produce greenhouse gases, around half of the
emissions remain in the atmosphere, while the other half is absorbed by the
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 land and ocean. These ecosystems – and the biodiversity they contain – are
natural carbon sinks, providing so-called nature-based solutions to climate
change.
Peatlands – wetlands such as marshes and swamps – cover only 3 per cent
of the world’s land, but they store twice as much carbon as all the forests.
Preserving and restoring peatlands means keeping them wet so the carbon
doesn’t oxidize and float off into the atmosphere.
Ocean habitats such as seagrasses and mangroves can also sequester
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates up to four times higher than
terrestrial forests can. Their ability to capture and store carbon make
mangroves highly valuable in the fight against climate change.
Conserving and restoring natural spaces, both on land and in the water, is
essential for limiting carbon emissions and adapting to an already changing
climate. About one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions
needed in the next decade could be achieved by improving nature’s ability to
absorb emissions.
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So to conclude, climate change is primarily caused by human activities and
many animals are suffering from our daily actions. Thanks for listening and
hope y'all enjoyed the presentation

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