Climate Change Flashcards
What is the main effect of climate change ?
An increase in mean global temperature which is associated with an advancement in the phenology of life history events
Define phenology
the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena
What did the research by Fitter and Fitter reveal about flowering phenology in the last decade ?
That the first flowering date on species has moved forward
4.5 days on average
Describe the effect of climate change on plant, caterpillar, bird interactions.
Change in phenology of leaf litter
Caterpillars have changed their peak abundance to correlate with this
This peak in caterpillars is now a narrower peak
However great tits are not laying eggs earlier, depleted food supply
Why can’t birds easily bring forward their annual egg production ?
Requires high amounts of energy resources and Non dietary material (CaCO3)
Give the percentage of harlequin frogs now extinct.
67% of 110 species
Why are frogs suffering from mass extinctions ?
Climate change
Increase in temperature
Some funguses become pathogenic at higher temperarures.
What does research into climate change require ?
Big data sets over long periods of time.
Better theory
More fieldwork
How were the community level affects of climate change on investigated ?
Using the Robertson data set
Combined data to give maximum and minimum activity periods of pollinators
Then stimulated global warming using computer modelling
What are the possible affects of climate change on pollinators ?
No food in pollinator flight period
Gaps in food supply in pollinator flight period
Curtailment (shortening) of availability of food for pollinators.
What were the results of computer modelled climate change on pollinators ?
Between 17% and 50% of the pollinators will suffer curtailment, no food, or gaps in food supply
Describe the field investigation of Rafferty and Ives into flowering phenology.
Experimentally shifted flowering phenology using potted plants in a greenhouse
Placed these in a field and observed
Found no large scale mismatch in pollinators and plants
What were the limitations of Rafferty and Ives investigation ?
They were unable to simulate the effect of climate change on the insects as well as the plants
What are agri-environmental schemes ?
Schemes which provide a monetary incentive for farmers to complete conservation work on their land
What are the current agri-environmental schemes ?
Planting of nectar rich flowering field margins
Usually legumes- have short phylogeny
