Laura Hoyt
10-31-12
Research Report Draft
Climate change is the long-term shift in weather patterns, in a specific region or globally
(Perlmutter and Rothstein 2011). These changes could be in factors such as precipitation,
temperature, cloud cover, and many others. There is some debate over the cause of current
climate change, with many believing that anthropogenic activities have the greatest influence and
others natural causes. One of these human actions is the release of greenhouse gasses into the
atmosphere, leading to an increase in temperature called global warming. The basic mechanism
of global warming is that greenhouse gasses absorb solar radiation and help to trap heat near
surface of the Earth, creating a warming effect.
Over the course of many years, these two forces, climate change and global warming, can
lead to dramatic changes in precipitation across the globe. Climate scientists, Shugart and
Woodward, state that in the future there are expected to be, “increases in precipitation at the
warming high latitudes but significant reductions in rainfall at the mid-latitudes” (Shugart and
Woodward 2011). It is thought that there will also be increases in precipitation near the equator
(Lenart 2010). Greater amounts of rainfall are linked to an increase in the Earth’s temperature
from global warming, since hotter air can hold more moisture. The causes of drought are less
certain, but are thought to be related to a change in atmospheric circulation where storm tracks
move farther from the equator as the Earth warms (Schmidt and Wolfe 2009). Many also expect
there to be more days between rainfall and days without precipitation in the future (Shugart and
Woodward 2011).
Water is vital for plants, so shifts in precipitation patterns could have a major influence
on plant survival and distribution. A greater number of days between rainfall events in
combination with more frequent heat waves could pose a challenge for plants around the world.
Also, as climate change progresses many believe that deserts will expand, forcing plant species
adapted to moderate amounts of rainfall towards the poles and providing more territory for desert
plants (Strom 2007). Increased drought could also make forest fires more common, which could
threaten some plant species (Lenart 2010). Yet, globally, and particularly in high latitudes and
near the equator, precipitation is expected to rise as a result of climate change (Lenart 2010).
Especially near the poles, this could have the effect of allowing forests to expand and plant
growth to increase (Lenart 2010).
The changes in plant ecology due to swings in precipitation could have a large influence
on animals, people, and the climate itself. The majority of animals depend on plants either
directly or indirectly for food and other resources. Some animals will benefit and some will lose
territory as grassland in the upper latitudes is lost to forests, polar regions turn to grasslands, and
deserts spread. Humans could gain land for agriculture near the poles, but will probably loose
fertile land at lower latitudes as deserts grow (Strom 2007). Droughts will also lead to more
forest fires posing a risk to people’s safety and property. As forests expand following higher
levels of precipitation they will take some carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, which might
help to mitigate global warming (Lenart 2010). However, more frequent droughts will have the
opposite effect, and the forest fires that they cause will both release greenhouse gasses into the
atmosphere and kill carbon dioxide absorbing plant life.
References
Lenart, M.. 2010. Life in the Hothouse: How a Living Planet Survives Climate Change. The
University of Arizona Press, United States of America.
Perlmutter, D. D., and R. Rothstein. 2011. The Challenge of Climate Change: Which Way Now?
John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Oxford.
Schmidt, G., and J. Wolfe. 2009. Climate Change: Picturing the Science. W. W. Norton and
Company, Inc., New York.
Shugart, H. H., and F. I. Woodward. 2011. Global Change and the Terrestrial Biosphere:
Achievements and Challenges. John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Oxford.
Strom, R.. 2007. Hot House: Global Climate Change and the Human Condition. Praxis
Publishing Ltd., New York.