Global climate change and biodiversity in forests of the southern United States
- Forest Service, New Orleans, LA (United States). Inst. for Quantitative Studies
This paper examines the effects of projected future climate change scenarios on biodiversity in forests of the southern US. Global climate change will probably influence biodiversity of southern forests as it was affected during periods in the past, with added problems caused by high human population density, development, air pollution, and rising sea levels. Although the increased level of CO[sub 2] could have beneficial effects on plants, climate change could cause serious changes to many ecological systems, for example inducing plants to bloom before their pollinators are available, and could precipitate modifications that few scientists have considered. Certainly many ecological systems will be seriously altered by climate change. Large northward shifts in species' ranges are expected, causing communities and ecosystems to change in composition. Loss of or movement of a dominant tree species may influence many other plant and animal species in the southern forest, bringing about large increases in the numbers of threatened and endangered species, as well as extinctions. Predictions about the effects of global climate change to southern forests and suggestions for detecting and preparing for them are included.
- OSTI ID:
- 6862949
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940422-; CODEN: WRRVE5
- Journal Information:
- World Resource Review; (United States), Vol. 6:3; Conference: 5. global warming science and policy international conference and expo, San Francisco, CA (United States), 4-7 Apr 1994; ISSN 1042-8011
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CARBON DIOXIDE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORESTS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
USA
FORECASTING
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)