Ecosystem Response

By: Jordan Robinson

November 11, 2005
 Migration
Global Warming has caused migration of
plants and animals to cooler climates
Those most susceptible to migration
problems:
Geographically localized species
Highly specialized species
Species living on the edge of their range
Poor dispersing species
 Plant Migration
If the Earth warms 2 deg. C in the next 100 years,
plants will have to migrate at a rate of 2 mi. per year

That rate is more than 5 times higher than migration

rates due to climate change before human influence
 Plant Migration

May result in loss of biodiversity

Need for “highly mobile and opportunistic”
species
especially a problem for “nut-bearing” plants
or those that spread seeds by wind
Plants will have to migrate 5 times faster
than in natural warming from the past
 Plant Migration

Possible Benefits:

•Increase in CO2 is a positive feedback

mechanism

•Some scientists argue that the increase in

CO2 will cause plants to thrive overall, thus
reversing the effect
 Animal Migration: Birds
Numerous studies of 103 bird species have
shown that these birds have been arriving earlier
in the second half of the 20th century than they
did in the first

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 Animal Migration: Fish
•Mainly a problem for freshwater fish
•temperature in water of lakes and streams raises
•freshwater fish (attempt to) migrate to cooler
waters
•Examples: Trout and Salmon
 Animal Migration: Red Fox

•The Red Fox, originally inhabiting North America

and Eurasia, is now migrating north into the
territory of the Arctic Fox due to warming.

•When competing for resources the Red Fox

usually wins, endangering the survival of the Arctic
Fox
 Why is Migration a
Problem?
1. Many have nowhere to migrate
2. Many cannot migrate fast enough
3. Migration will cause increase of
invasive species
 Many Have Nowhere to Migrate

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•Draining of wetlands, deforestation, and

development of coastlines leaves limited options
for migration
Many Cannot Migrate Fast Enough

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Migration causes Increase in
Invasive Species

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Burmese python and Alligator