Climate Change

Climate Change

1. Climate - average weather conditions in an area over several decade (30 years) Weather - is the atmospheric conditions that we experience from day to day e.g rain, sunshine, hail, snow etc.

   • Two things that control climate: Temperature & Precipitation
     • Global pattern of climate: The general pattern of climate if tropical, dry, cold and polar. Tropical climate is found in South America whereas cold and polar climate is found in the north of the world. Southern Europe is mainly dry climate.

2. Biomes - A biome is a zonal ecosystem, it's location is determind by climate, notably average temperature and annual precipitation.

   • Global pattern of biomes: - The general pattern of biomes is spread unevenly around the world. Tropical rainforests are found mainly in the South of America with a few distributed in Western Africa. - Xeric shrubland are mainly positioned in central North Africa and mainland Australia. - Tundra is found only in the North of Canada and Northen Russia.
     • Relationship between biomes and their climate: - The climate of a region will determine the vegetation that is able to grow there. - The plant communities that survive naturally in a region form large scale ecosystems called biomes. - Climate controls the biomes!
       • What happens if climate were to change? - If the climate changes the biomes change and would move up. - For example if the climate changes Arid Desert would move from North Africa up to Southern Europe. - You may also see an increrase in extinction with plants and animals.
         • Butterflies and climate change - Pattern change: Butterflies are appearing early, new species care developing and coming in, many species are covering larger areas. What species have prone to climate change? - The Lulworth Skipper - seven weeks early in Weymouth - Large Skipper - month early - The green hairstreak & the chalkhill blue - six weeks early. Why is this happening? - This is happening due to the increase in temperature/ climate. - Plants and flowers come out earlier so the biome is being changed, they are responding to their natural environment.

3. Greenhouse Effect - The greenhouse effect is when sunlight enters the Earth's atmosphere, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases. What are the major gases involved? - Carbon dioxide is the main gas that is involved in greenhouse effect with 72% - CFC's - 13% - Methane - 10% - Nitrous Oxide - 5% Why is this process a natural one? It is a natural process due to the suns radiation as it is absorbed by the Earth's surface and warms it. Some radiation is reflected back into space however most of the solar radiation is absorbed into Earth. How have humans impacted upon this process? - Humans have increrased the cardion dioxide production by industrial activity e.g. burning fossil fuels and other human activies such as cement production. Also tropical deforestation has increased the concentrations in the atmosphere.

4. Disease and climate change - 1) All diseases based on water quality and insects could be impacted by climate change. 2) New diseases are coming into area that have not experienced them before. 3) Cancer and HIV/AIDS are NOT affected by climate change!