Effects of global warming on the Earth’s ecosystems

The Earth is an ecosystem, but also e.g. a sea, a river, a field etc. are ecosystems. An ecosystem can be defined as a ‘combination of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors that work as a whole’.

The effects of an increase in the Earth’s temperature on ecosystems is very complex. An abstract can be given in following points:

  • Melting of polar ice resulting in:
    • Increase in sea level of 0,09 – 0,88m by 2100. This may seem not much but will mean a disaster for the whole human population.
    • A decrease of the reflection of solar radiation which will lead again to an increase in temperature.
    • A decrease in the salinity of the ocean having devastating effects on the ocean’s currents and consequently on the climate.
    • Decrease in phytoplankton associated with ice with destructive consequences of the whole marine foodweb (from small crustaceans up to large whales and dolphins)!
  • Change in climate zones (like the extension of the desert and disappearance of polar regions) which will have a severe impact on the Earth’s ecosystems.
  • Change in the Earth’s biodiversity: animals that rely on the cold climate conditions or that are unable to adapt ‘quickly’, will become extinct.

  • More extreme weather conditions like:

    • Hurricanes etc.

    • Increase of rainfall in some regions with consequential floods.

    • Decrease of rainfall in some regions with consequential shortage of fresh water and decrease in land productivity.

    • Increase in El Niño events (associated with a decrease of nutrients in coastal water) resulting in a disaster for all marine life but also human consumption in those regions.

  • Increase in ozone depletion resulting in an increase of UV radiation on Earth again increasing the Earth’s temperature.

Moreover, 1/3 of all the CO2 in the world’s atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans. Due to this continuous increase in CO2 the pH of ocean water is changing (more acid). However, the more acidic the ocean water gets and the warmer the water gets, the less CO2 it can absorb causing increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, increasing again the greenhouse effect.

All these consequences will have a great impact on life on Earth, both ecologically and economically.

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