Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Studying change
- 3 Key concepts in plant evolution
- 4 The origin and extent of human-influenced ecosystems
- 5 Consequences of human influences on the biosphere
- 6 Categories
- 7 Investigating microevolution in plants in anthropogenic ecosystems
- 8 Plant microevolution in managed grassland ecosystems
- 9 Harvesting crops: arable and forestry
- 10 Pollution and microevolutionary change
- 11 Introduced plants
- 12 Endangered species: investigating the extinction process at the population level
- 13 Hybridisation and speciation in anthropogenically influenced ecosystems
- 14 Ex situ conservation
- 15 In situ conservation: within and outside reserves
- 16 Creative conservation through restoration and reintroduction
- 17 Reserves in the landscape
- 18 Climate change
- 19 Microevolution and climate change
- 20 The implications of climate change for the theory and practice of conservation
- 21 Overview
- References
- Index
18 - Climate change
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Studying change
- 3 Key concepts in plant evolution
- 4 The origin and extent of human-influenced ecosystems
- 5 Consequences of human influences on the biosphere
- 6 Categories
- 7 Investigating microevolution in plants in anthropogenic ecosystems
- 8 Plant microevolution in managed grassland ecosystems
- 9 Harvesting crops: arable and forestry
- 10 Pollution and microevolutionary change
- 11 Introduced plants
- 12 Endangered species: investigating the extinction process at the population level
- 13 Hybridisation and speciation in anthropogenically influenced ecosystems
- 14 Ex situ conservation
- 15 In situ conservation: within and outside reserves
- 16 Creative conservation through restoration and reintroduction
- 17 Reserves in the landscape
- 18 Climate change
- 19 Microevolution and climate change
- 20 The implications of climate change for the theory and practice of conservation
- 21 Overview
- References
- Index
Summary
There is increasing evidence that climate change is occurring, and the anthropogenic contribution to such change is being clarified (IPCC, 2007a, b, c, d). While most experts in the field accept this proposition, a diminishing number of vocal sceptics are to be found in academia, in political circles and in the media. This chapter considers the evidence for climate change. Chapters 19 and 20 examine the microevolutionary consequences of such changes, and the implications for conservation.
The greenhouse effect and climate change
Solar energy is received on Earth from the Sun. Some of this energy is reflected back from clouds and the Earth's surface, but some is trapped by the so-called greenhouse gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide) resulting in the warming of the planet. As we shall see, there is mounting evidence that anthropogenic activities are increasing the levels of these gases in the atmosphere resulting in global warming.
This account draws on the recent Fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report (IPCC, 2007a) on the physical sciences basis for accessing climate change. It has been prepared by over 1,200 expert authors, and reviewers from 40 countries (Giles, 2007). At the time of writing only the Summaries for Policy Makers are available.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009