Plants & Climate change Flashcards
What are the factors that will impact plants
- increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
- increased global average temperatures
- increased frequency of extreme weather events
What is the name of carbon dioxide initial theory
CO2 fertilization effect
How do people measure the CO2 fertilization effect
- entire forests can be converted into high carbon dioxide chambers
- Free-air-carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) system
What is the junk food effect
increased CO2 cause plants to put more biomass and produce more sugar but that means less room in nutrients
What are the main decline in nutrient levels
protein, calcium, potassium, riboflavin, ascorbic acid
Which type of plant has the greatest loss of nutrient value
C3 plants
What are growing degree days
- temperature range during which plant growth occurs
- species specific
- has lower and upper temperature limit
What are climate shifts
as local temperature increases, habitats will shift northward –> migration
Which communities will disappear entirely
island (rising of seawater), sky islands, northern communities (nowhere left to migrate to)
What are sky islands
species on mountains often adapted to high latitudes
- cannot leave the mountain environment in order to shift range with climate change
What is the effect of increased temperature on agriculture
- extreme heat would interfere with plant growth and reproductive biology
What are examples of short term extreme weather events
floods, storms, hurricanes, frost
What are examples of extended extreme weather events
droughts, extended rainy seasons, extreme winter
What is the worst culprit for extreme weather events
drought
