Weathering the Oncoming Storm
Our climate is changing. It is estimated that the temperature was hotter for 98% of the Earth during the 20th century than at any time during the last 2,000 years, and this heat wave is rising at an unprecedented rate.
As the planet heats up, our climate is responding in turn with alterations in precipitation, season length, plant bloom times, and extreme weather. These are impacting plants and animals in ways that we did not truly expect, and climate change as a whole will have deep and long lasting effects on the lives of every creature on the planet. This is not a piece discussing the causes of climate change. Instead, let’s look at how it is already affecting our environment so that we can better understand the problem we are dealing with.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the main contributors to recent climate change, due to its ability to trap and hold heat in our atmosphere. While humans emit literally tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year (37.1 billion tons were estimated to have been released in 2018), carbon dioxide is an important element of our atmosphere. Like planetary insulation, CO2 helps regulate the temperature of the planet. It also serves as a crucial component of photosynthesis, the process by which plants produce energy. One would think that with higher concentrations of CO2 in the air, plants might be able to reach gargantuan sizes at record speeds. This is indeed what is happening. Plants are growing at a faster rate than before, and they are able to produce more stored energy in the form of sugars, starches, and fats. This buildup of stored energy is having some potentially devastating side effects, however.
Even though plants are growing faster, research is beginning to show that the food being produced by them is actually less nutritious as well. Due to the increased amount of stored energy in plants, other nutrients such as zinc, potassium, iron, and calcium can end up being crowded out of fruits and vegetables. Pollen has been affected by increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as well. A recent study by Purdue University has shown that the protein content in goldenrod pollen has dropped by a third since the 1800s. It can be assumed that other plants are experiencing similar declines as well. This is especially impactful to native bees, and other animals who have evolved to feed their young specific amounts of pollen before sealing them away to grow alone. The rise of CO2 concentrations has also started to physically change leaves. Normally plants inhale CO2 and exhale water using microscopic openings in their leaves. Plants are starting to develop leaves with fewer of these openings since carbon dioxide is easier to grab, while as a consequence they might start releasing less water back into the atmosphere. Scientists are even concerned that rising global temperatures could make the beloved red apple extinct, as high temperatures render the fruits unable to obtain their signature hue.
Changes in seasonal temperatures are also having profound effects on pollinators and other backyard wildlife. Temperature and precipitation changes due to climate change are forecast to place around two-thirds of all bird species in danger of extinction by shrinking their habitable areas while devastating their insect prey. Insects like bees can be especially hard hit by changing bloom times, and plant bloom and emergence times are changing along with the temperatures. Many insects are finely tuned to their favorite native plants, and they carefully orchestrate their lives to coincide with the most active periods of these plants. Global trends have seen flowers blooming earlier than normal due to higher temperatures, however wildlife can be slow to respond to these changes. This leads to situations where an animal is active at the wrong time in the season, missing the moments that they depend on for survival. Studies are also finding that certain fungal infections in insect populations favor rising temperatures. This will likely impact native insects in the future. By remaining vigilant about restoring native habitats and reducing what we unwittingly put into our surrounding environments, we can all help our local plants and animals weather this oncoming storm.
Bolster Local Ecosystems to Combat Climate Change
Learning about climate change is a bittersweet affair—while it is absolutely necessary to be informed of the daunting problems our planet is facing, the issue can become overwhelming in scope and complexity. Luckily, one of the most effective tools against climate change is the bustling natural world around us. Many of the growing and chirping forms in our backyards are incredibly efficient hoarders of carbon dioxide, for example. While all plants are effective at removing carbon dioxide from the air, each tree in a forest locks up almost 50 pounds a year, tucking it away in the soil with the aid of specific microorganisms. As animals consume plants or other creatures, they often throw their leftovers on the ground. This further enriches soil microbes adding to the amount of carbon dioxide they can squirrel away. A healthy ecosystem effectively functions as a series of carbon dioxide filters. This isn’t only true on land; recent studies have discovered that certain whales help sponge over 30 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere throughout their lives. By restoring natural habitats and fostering populations of native wildlife, we can jump-start these powerful CO2 sinks, becoming better prepared for the climates of the future.