Beyond global warming: Ecology and global change

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Ecology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1941591· OSTI ID:7042882

Vitousek, P M ^[1]

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1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

While ecologists involved in management or policy often are advised to learn to deal with uncertainty, some components of global environmental change are certainly occurring and are certainly human-caused. All have important ecological consequences. Well-documented global changes include: Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; alterations in the biogeochemistry of the global nitrogen cycle; and ongoing land use/land cover change. Human activity - now primarily fossil fuel combustion - has increased carbon dioxide concentrations from [approximately] 280 to 355 [mu]L/L since 1800 and is likely to have climatic consequences and direct effects on biota in all terrestrial ecosystems. The global nitrogen cycle has been altered so that more nitrogen is fixed annually by humanity than by all natural pathways combined. Altering atmospheric chemistry and aquatic ecosystems, contributes to eutrophication of the biosphere, and has substantial regional effects on biological diversity. Finally, human land use/land cover change has transformed one-third to one-half of Earth's ice-free surface, representing the most important component of global change now. Any clear dichotomy between pristine ecosystems and human-altered areas that may have existed in the past has vanished, and ecological research should account for this reality. Certain components of global environmental change are the primary causes of anticipated changes in climate, and of ongoing losses of biological diversity. They are caused by the extraordinary growth in size and resource use of the human population. On a broad scale, there is little uncertainty about any of these components of change or their causes. However, much of the public believes the causes of global change to be uncertain and contentious. By speaking out effectively,the focus of public discussion towards what can and should be done about global environmental change can be shifted. 135 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 7042882
• Journal Information: Ecology; (United States), Vol. 75:7; ISSN 0012-9658
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
GLOBAL ASPECTS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
LAND USE
NITROGEN CYCLE
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATIONS
290202* - Energy Planning & Policy- Sociology- (1992-)
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)