What is the impact of climate change on arctic habitat loss? Many things are changing rapidly, including sea level rise, warming seas, and a change in the phenology of plants. These changes are causing new combinations of species to appear in the region. Here are some of the most immediate threats to arctic ecosystems. Read on to learn more. Also, read about the impact of climate change on migratory species.
Warming seas
While warming seas pose a significant threat to the ecosystems of the Arctic, the impacts of climate change are often multilayered and synergistic. The vast area of untouched tundra, mountains, freshwater, and seas provides essential services to humans. Consequently, the effects of climate change can be felt in a wide range of ways, from affecting the number of species and the quality of ecosystem services to influencing the behavior of human beings.
One way to understand how warming seas affect cetaceans is to look at their winter distribution. The three species of Arctic cetaceans are known for their seasonal association with sea ice. Sea surface temperature is a critical driver of their movement patterns and population dynamics. While sea ice is expected to decrease further, rising temperatures will likely influence their range expansion or decrease. This will affect the ranges of arctic species that migrate between polar and temperate waters.
In addition to causing the demise of Arctic wildlife, climate change is facilitating increased human activity in the Arctic. Such activities bring additional stressors, including invasive species that can outcompete or displace resident species. These stressors are compounding each other, posing a greater threat to the region’s unique biodiversity. Additionally, overfishing and habitat changes outside the Arctic have a direct impact on many Arctic migratory species.
In addition to warming seas, human activities are causing new threats to the marine mammals of the Arctic. These include vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing nets, and human-caused sound and disturbance. In addition, Arctic marine mammals may be forced onto land to rest or haul out. The sea ice also retreats further into deeper waters. Furthermore, this change is changing their behavior.
In addition to threatening the polar region, the Antarctic is also seeing its fair share of changing ecosystems. The Antarctic Peninsula, for instance, is another area that is warming quickly. Its inhabitants are iconic to the Antarctic, including penguins, seals, whales, and other animals. As ice-covered seas melt, more fresh water enters the surrounding ocean, bringing more carbon dioxide.
Changing phenology of plants
Most species respond to climate change in a unique manner, resulting in shifts in the phenology of their annual activities. These shifts are directly related to climate change and maybe a positive adaptation to changing climatic conditions, or a negative result of the impact of climate change on these plants and animals. However, interpreting observed shifts in phenology without taking into account the overall ecosystem may lead to incorrect conclusions about the future of these species.
In general, a warming gradient would advance the phenology of autumnal and early-season plant species at approximately the same rate. However, this result is unlikely to apply to arctic species, because their responses to warming would differ. It is not clear whether warming will cause early or late season plant phenology to advance or decline, and the results of experiments conducted in these areas have yet to be published.
Researchers have used passive open-top chambers to isolate the effect of warming on plant phenology. However, these studies have limited phenological response rates because they are subject to correlations among environmental drivers. In addition, they lack the spatial extent and time range required to study the effects of warming on plant phenology. In addition, it is difficult to assess how the phenology of the arctic region will respond to warming unless researchers take a physiological approach.
The phenological response of the orange tip butterflies to temperatures above minus 15 degrees Celsius is similar to that of other arctic plants. It is possible that the orange tip butterfly’s flowering date may be affected by climate change differently than that of the other species. The study also showed that the same climate change-induced changes in the arctic-affected ecosystem would result in reduced phenology among the other species.
While the effects of climate change on arctic habitats are not yet clear, the results of the study indicate that vegetative phenophases were shifted more than those of reproductive phenophases. In addition, plant phenophases were shifted more during the winter than during the spring, indicating that reproductive phases were affected more than the vegetative ones.
Overharvesting of traditional foods
There is a critical need for more information on how climate change affects arctic biodiversity. Overharvesting of traditional foods and loss of sea ice pose serious threats to marine species and ocean ecosystems. Arctic waters are acidifying due to increased CO2 uptake, and many calcifying organisms are threatened by rising CO2 levels. The rapid expansion of shipping and resource development corridors will likely dramatically increase the number of alien species that have no place in Arctic ecosystems.
The Arctic is home to many species that are vital to the local people. Fisheries in the region are of global importance and have immense economic value. Millions of birds and mammals migrate in the region to various parts of the world. The changes brought about by climate change in the Arctic and the development of temperate and tropical regions are putting these species at risk. The vast, barren land and sea ice are crucial to Arctic biodiversity.
Changing arctic climate is threatening the survival of reindeer, which have declined by half over the last two decades. Reindeer feed on lichens and other nutritious plants in the snow, but as temperatures rise, the ice covers them. This makes it difficult to graze. Meanwhile, the number of Saima ringed seals has decreased by 50 percent.
Impacts on migratory species
Several recent studies show that the Arctic region is experiencing a rapid change in its ecosystem. In addition to the loss of ice and coastal habitat, the region is also experiencing a change in the number of species that live there. Whether this is a direct result of climate change or a result of overharvesting, the changes in climatic conditions pose a significant challenge to conservation efforts.
Increasing temperatures are changing migratory bird migration routes and patterns. Changing temperatures are forcing many species to alter their routes and wintering grounds. Some smaller species are now not wintering in northern Africa and Spain, but are instead migrating to England and Germany. Inactive birds, like starlings and cranes, suffer greatly from the cold. This is not good news for these species, as one harsh winter could wipe out an entire population.
The authors of the study are experts in movement ecology, phenology, and agroforestry. They report the findings in the journal Oikos. In addition, the authors note that the findings should be interpreted in context, as climate change will affect species’ migration patterns. The researchers are also aware that habitat changes may change the incidence of infectious diseases. Because migration helps reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, changes in migratory behavior can also change the incidence of disease. In addition to affecting the incidence of disease, climate change can also alter the life span of individuals.
The loss of sea ice has forced polar bears onto land. Without access to seals, they are forced to search for food. A recent study found that polar bears forced ashore would need to eat 1.5 caribou, 37 Arctic char, 74 snow geese, 217 snow goose eggs, and 3 million crowberries to maintain their weight. These species are already expending more energy to hunt for food, but if the sea ice melts, it will be difficult to adapt to life on land.
The loss of arctic habitat also threatens the population of many migratory species. In Canada, a variety of species are facing extinction due to climatic changes. Increasing levels of agricultural pesticides and pollution are causing higher rates of species endangerment in southern areas. Additionally, the long-range transport of persistent organic pollutants has begun to impact remote northern regions.
