Changing Environments

Question 1

What are the consequences of changing environments?

Answer 1

Physiological adaptations under past environments may not be beneficial under future climates

Question 2

What is thermal performance?

Answer 2

Range of temperatures under which individuals can survive

Question 3

Why do we want to predict the future?

Answer 3

Conservation

Food security/economically important species

Question 4

How many bird species are experiencing maximum ambient temperatures and what is it predicted to rise to by 2080? (In percentages)

Answer 4

Currently 15%

Predicted to rise to 36%

Question 5

How many mammal species are experiencing maximum ambient temperatures and what is it predicted to rise to by 2080? (In percentages)

Answer 5

Currently 16%

Predicted to rise to 47%

Question 6

What is spatial change as a response to changing environments constrained by?

Answer 6

Dispersal ability

Habitat availability

Connectivity issues

Question 7

What temporal changes are happening as a response to changing environments?

Answer 7

Butterflies emerging earlier

Birds laying clutch of eggs earlier - can possibly lay another clutch later

Migration

Question 8

How is oxygen availability changing in oceans?

Answer 8

Increasing temperatures causes a decrease in oxygen in the oceans

Question 9

What is predicted to happen to fish in the future?

Answer 9

Get smaller

Question 10

What would a 3.5C warming result in for birds?

Answer 10

600-900 land bird extinctions (89% will be from the tropics)

Question 11

What factors need to be considered for predicting the future?

Answer 11

How large future emissions will be

Extreme climatic events

How close a species is to its thermal tolerance limits

Species interactions

What will future emissions be like?

Can organisms adapt?

Is the species generalist or specialist?

How far can a species move

Question 12

What is one way to mediate environmental change impacts?

Answer 12

Maintain and protect heterogeneous habitats