The interaction between the biosphere (living organisms) and the atmosphere contributes to global warming through the release of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). This interaction, coupled with human activities, leads to an enhanced greenhouse effect and an increase in global temperatures. Subsequently, global warming has profound effects on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Here's how these processes work:
Biosphere-Atmosphere Interaction and Global Warming:
Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gas Emissions:Plants and forests play a vital role in the carbon cycle by absorbing CO2 through photosynthesis. Deforestation, land use changes, and human activities (such as burning fossil fuels and agricultural practices) release large amounts of CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon that was stored underground for millions of years, contributing to the increase in atmospheric CO2 levels.
Feedback Loops:Warming temperatures can lead to the release of more CO2 and CH4 from natural sources like thawing permafrost and warming oceans. As temperatures rise, certain ecosystems may become less efficient at sequestering carbon, amplifying the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Effects of Global Warming on Ecosystems and Biodiversity:
Shifts in Habitats and Ranges:Rising temperatures can lead to shifts in the geographical distribution of species as they move to higher altitudes or latitudes to find suitable climates. Some species may be unable to migrate or adapt quickly enough, leading to potential declines or extinctions.
Phenological Changes:Warming temperatures can alter the timing of key events in an organism's life cycle, such as flowering, breeding, and migration. Mismatches between species that depend on each other, such as predators and prey or pollinators and flowering plants, can disrupt ecosystem dynamics.
Ocean Acidification:Elevated atmospheric CO2 levels contribute to increased carbon dioxide in seawater, causing ocean acidification. Acidic waters can harm marine life, particularly organisms with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons like corals, mollusks, and some plankton.
Coral Bleaching:Warming sea temperatures can lead to coral bleaching, where corals expel the symbiotic algae that provide them with energy and color. Repeated bleaching events can result in the death of coral reefs, impacting marine biodiversity and fisheries.
Extreme Weather Events:More frequent and severe heatwaves, storms, and flooding can damage habitats, disrupt ecosystems, and directly harm organisms. Ecosystems may struggle to recover from such disturbances.
Species Extinction and Biodiversity Loss:Rapid temperature changes can outpace the ability of many species to adapt or migrate, leading to species extinctions and reduced biodiversity. Biodiversity loss can disrupt ecosystem stability and impact human societies that depend on diverse ecosystems for resources.
In summary, the interaction between the biosphere and the atmosphere, particularly through the emission of greenhouse gases, contributes to global warming. The resulting warming temperatures have profound effects on ecosystems and biodiversity, leading to shifts in species distributions, altered ecological dynamics, and potential extinctions. Efforts to mitigate these impacts involve understanding these interactions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and implementing conservation strategies to protect vulnerable ecosystems and species.
The biosphere and atmosphere are in constant interaction with each other. All living things rely on gases in the atmosphere for life. Organisms, such as animals, take in oxygen gas from the atmosphere to use in every cell of their body, and they release carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere. The buildup of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuel is the primary cause of global warming. The global biosphere has been helping to offset some of the excess carbon dioxide people have been pumping into the atmosphere. Living organisms comprising Earth's biosphere affect Earth's climate system. They can change the chemical makeup of the atmosphere by, as, absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis as plants and algae do, and by adding chemicals to the atmosphere from pollution as humans do. Human contributions to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are warming the earth's surface – a process which is projected to increase evaporation of surface water and accelerate the hydrologic cycle. In turn, a warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor. It covers all types of life as well as any biome on the earth. The biosphere functions as the planet's life support system, assisting in the control of atmospheric composition, soil health, and the hydrological (water) cycle. In the food chain, plants move carbon from the atmosphere into the biosphere through photosynthesis. They use energy from the sun to chemically combine carbon dioxide with hydrogen and oxygen from water to create sugar molecules. Plants (hydrosphere) draw water (biosphere) and nutrients from the soil and release water vapor into the atmosphere. Plants (atmosphere) draw water (hydrosphere) and nutrients from the soil and release water vapor into the atmosphere. On land, higher temperatures have forced animals and plants to move to higher elevations or higher latitudes, many moving towards the Earth's poles, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems. The risk of species extinction increases with every degree of warming. Due to climate change, habitats can be shifted, and eventually habitats can be lost from many areas. However, species with short generation time, such as microbes and insects, may adapt more successfully to climate change than those species with long generation time. The Arctic is one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as it is warming at least twice the rate of the global average and melting land ice sheets and glaciers contribute dramatically to sea level rise around the globe. The Arctic tundra, parts of Europe and Canada's boreal forest, tropical rainforests in South America, and eastern Australia all registered as some of the most ecologically sensitive regions in the world to climatic changes. The shrinkage of glaciers, decreasing water flow of the perennial rivers depleting ground water level directly and indirectly affect the biodiversity of the sub- region. Some of the most immediate effects of recent climate change are becoming apparent through affects on biodiversity.