Global climate change and biodiversity in forests of the southern United States

Conference · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · World Resource Review; (United States)

OSTI ID:6862949

Devall, M S; Parresol, B R ^[1]

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1. 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--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: World Resource Review; (United States) Journal Volume: 6:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORECASTING
FORESTS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
USA