Ecology; Climate change impacts

Question 1

Why are the climate change consequences on ecosystems so complex?

Answer 1

Several reasons:

1. Climate change is not only temperature increase, but also increased storminess, changed precipitation patters, modified circulation, sea level rise, ocean acidification, increased hypoxia, increased frequency of extreme events (e.g. heat waves) etc, etc
2. Climate interacts with other global changes:
   * Urbanization
   * overexploitation of natural resources
   * fragmentation and habitat loss
   * degradation of environmental quality / pollution
   * invasive species
3. Climate change affects all levels of biological organisation, from genes to ecosystems..
4. …and at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales

Question 2

What are the multiple impacts of climate change on mangrove ecosystems? (graph)

Answer 2

Question 3

Climate change and coral reefs (temperature effects) (picture)

Answer 3

Question 4

Climate change and coral reefs (effects of storms and rainfall) (picture)

Answer 4

Question 5

Climate change and coral reefs (effects of acidification) (picture)

Answer 5

Question 6

Summary of vulnerability of coral reefs to key variables of climate change (table)

Answer 6

Question 7

What is considered one of the major threats to coral reefs?

Answer 7

Ocean acidification

Question 8

Example of human alterations of coral reefs (picture)

Answer 8

Question 9

Coral reef degradation (picture)

Answer 9

Question 10

Example of consequences from human impacts

Answer 10

Likelihood of fleshy macroalgae rising to dominance and outcompeting the calcified
taxa under future warming and acidification scenarios will depend upon the local impacts of
fishery (from Harley et al 2012)

Question 11

Climate change affects all levels of biological
organisation, from genes to ecosystems… (graph)

Answer 11

Question 12

Climate change effects at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales … (graph)

Answer 12

Question 13

Overview of climate impacts on ecological processes (picture)

Answer 13

Question 14

Ongoing habitat shifts in North Adriatic sea salt marshes (case study)

Answer 14

Perennial (blijvende) grasses to annual succulents (vetplanten)

Question 15

Ongoing habitat shifts in North Adriatic sea salt marshes (case study)

Answer 15

Perennial (blijvende) grasses to annual succulents (vetplanten)

Question 16

What are the climate stressors driving habitat shifts in North Adriatic saltmarshes? (case study)

Answer 16

Combined test of effects of:

• increased temperature
• decreased rainfall
• increased inundation

on Salicornia veneta and Spartina spp

Question 17

What is the main driver of the regime shifts in North Adriatic salt marshes?

Answer 17

• Increasing heatwaves/droughts are shifting the system
• reducing its resilience to increased inundation (overstromingen)

Question 18

Coastal squeeze and the loss of intertidal habitats

Answer 18

Intertidal habitats trapped in a “coastal squeeze” between:

• a coast “fixed” by human population from the
  land
• and the effects of global climate change from the sea

Question 19

Illustration of the effects of rising sea levels on rocky shores

Answer 19

MHWS: mean high water spring
MLWS: mean low water spring

Question 20

Worldwide retracting canopies

Answer 20

Documented widespread range retractions and declines since at least early 1900s in
* Europe,
* North and south America,
* Japan, Korea,
* South Africa,
* Australia and New Zealand

Question 21

What habitats are canopies replaced by?

Answer 21

• Turfs
• Ephemeral algae
• Mussels
• Barren

Question 22

How does the shift from canopy to turf accelerate?

Answer 22

Through climatic stressors

Question 23

What other processes related to canopies are induced by climatic stressors?

Answer 23

• Delay population recovery
• Increase herbivorous fish pressure

Question 24

Effect of climatic stressors on delay in population recovery

Answer 24

Question 25

Effect of climatic stressors on the increase in herbivorous fish pressure

Answer 25

Question 26

Effects of climate changes on coastal human societies

Answer 26

- Flood coastal erosion - sea level rise - cyclons - Harmful algal blooms - anoxia - Fisheries

Question 27

Inundation risks: vulnerability of coastal populations (map)

Answer 27

Question 28

Inundation risks: vulnerability of assets

Answer 28

Question 29

Vulnerability is a function of...

Answer 29

- exposure - sensitivity - adaptive capacity

Question 30

linked social-ecological vulnerability

Answer 30

Question 31

Climate as a risk factor for armed conflict

Answer 31

Question 32

What is climate change mitigation?

Answer 32

Interventions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing absorption (e.g. energy saving, reforestation)

Question 33

What are climate change adaptations?

Answer 33

Initiatives and measures to reduce the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems or to exploit any opportunities

Question 34

Adaptation vs mitigation

Answer 34

- Complementary strategies for reducing and managing the risks of climate change. - Substantial emissions reductions over the next few decades can reduce climate risks in the 21st century and beyond. -effective adaptation, reduces the costs and challenges of mitigation in the longer term, and contribute to climate-resilient pathways for sustainable development - They often compete at national level for the allocation of resources - Should be considered as two aspects of a single integrated response to climate change

Question 35

Examples of 'hard' adaptations

Answer 35

- Building of dams or coastal defenses - Replacement of species sensitive to temperature shocks with more resistant ones - Open corridors that allow the migration of species - Building criteria that take into account future environmental conditions and increase in extreme events

Question 36

Examples of 'soft' adaptations

Answer 36

- Education - Optimisation of use of resources (e.g. water) - Setup of risk prevention systems - Protection of environment and population healt-social-economic welfare

Question 37

Nature based solution (e.g. the Scheldt in Belgium)

Answer 37

Question 38

Ocean based solutions to climate change

Answer 38

Question 39

How can MPA's help in mitigation and adaptation?

Answer 39