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Question

Asked 29th May, 2014

Golam Kibria

RMIT University

What will be the likely impacts of climate change on an important ecosystem of your country?

An ecosystem can be defined as a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and the non-living environment (air, water, minerals, soil), interacting as a functional unit. Energy and carbon enter ecosystems through photosynthesis, whereas rainfall patterns and TEMPERATURE seasonality determine the AMOUNT of water available to the ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem is known to be more resilient to shocks and stress and is more sustainable.

Ecosystems provide many goods and services that are of vital importance for the functioning of the environment and provide the basis for the delivery of physical benefits to human society. Ecosystems can be categorised into (a) deserts, (b) grassland and savannas, (c) Mediterranean (d) forests and woodlands (e) tundra and arctic/Antarctic, (f) mountains, (g) freshwater wetlands, lakes and rivers, (h) oceans and shallow seas. Each ecosystem provides different goods and services to us.

Investigations conducted reveals that many terrestrial and aquatic species are shifting their geographic ranges in response to rapid changes in temperature and precipitation regimes. Some species are moving poleward (latitudinal movement), some up in elevation (ALTITUDINAL movement), some species are going deep to increased depths in the oceans (deep) to escape HEAT or warming.

Pollution, unsustainable extraction of natural RESOURCES, and biological disturbances etc. have already threatened various ecosystems. Climate change will be an additional stress on ecosystems. Climate change is projected to cause a rise of CO2, temperatures, sea-level, pests, parasites, pathogens and diseases, extinction of species and in the frequency and intensity of extreme events (droughts, floods, cyclones, hurricanes, and bush fires). There could be negative or positive or mixed impacts on ecosystems as a consequence of climate change.

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