Global Warming: A Different Side

Handwerk, Brian. “Global Warming: How Hot? How Soon?” National Geographic. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news//2005/07/0727_050727_globalwarming.html

This article examines some different effects global warming could or will have on planet Earth. Possible outcomes and reactions are theorized and tested as well as applied to the larger picture of the future.

An interesting fact: soils hold roughly five times the amount of carbon that is held in the atmosphere. An experiment performed by John Harte, an ecosystem sciences professor, examined in this article was dealing with artificially heating a section of a meadow. He found that more than 20% of the carbon in the soil was let off into the air after being heated up by 2°C. With that much more CO₂ in the air, even worst case scenarios aren’t accurate predictions. On top of this, sage brush overtook flowers to an extent and altered the overall plant community. Similar studies done on bogs, prairies, and tundra ecosystems are starting to show related outcomes.

Also as expected anything frozen on the surface of the planet is taking a bit of a beating from global warming. Glaciers around the world are shrinking (though a number are still advancing), and the snows of Mount Kilimanjaro are melting away. Arctic communities are considering relocation as permafrost is causing dangerous shifts and shrinkage in the ground they cover. And polar bears are expected to lose one third of their population in the next 50 years. Other animals and plants are expected to react somewhat similarly to warming as well.

Due to global warming some species of animals are expected to change breeding seasons, migratory paths, and their native/natural range. Hector Galbraith, of Galbraith Environmental Sciences and the University of Colorado at Boulder used this scenario: In North America forests are susceptible to insect invasions. Song birds help keep the insects in control which aids the trees. If the birds find a different range due to warming, more trees would fall victim to the bugs, which means more dead trees, more fire from said dead trees, and more CO₂ in the air.

Overall global warming isn’t really getting better, but it is being well researched by some which is drawing interesting conclusions or possibilities for the future of Earth. This article did a clear interesting job at explaining the experiments, outcomes, and projections of the years to come.

Written by Rachel
A good friend of mine.

Thanks!


Chelisa