How important is climate change—something that has occurred throughout Earth’s history? Can ecosystems tolerate the magnitude and rate of future change? How will other conservation threats interact with climate change? How likely are widespread extinctions, and how might they affect the functioning of ecosystems and human societies? Biologists are trying to answer these and other questions as climate change intensifies. This chapter will set the stage for the classroom activities in Part II of the book by summarizing how climate change has affected biological systems thus far.
Details
Type Book ChapterPub Date 10/1/2008Stock # PB225X_3