Climate Change, Land Use, Ecosystem Function and Services

Climate change has a significant impact on ecosystems. Climate change has a number of effects on ecosystems. Warming, for example, may compel species to relocate to higher latitudes or elevations, where temperatures are more suitable for their existence. Similarly, as sea levels rise, saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems may compel certain vital species to relocate or die, removing predators and prey that are important in the existing food chain. Climate change has an indirect impact on ecosystems and species, and it interacts with other human stressors like development. Although certain stressors have minimal effects when acting alone, their combined effect can result in significant ecological changes. Climate change, for example, could intensify the burden that land development causes on vulnerable coastal areas. The functions of ecological systems are altered as a result of climate change. As a result, ecosystem services are being altered, as is the well-being of people who rely on these services. Many species' yearly life cycles are influenced by the climate where they dwell or spend part of the year, such as migration, blooming, and reproduction.