Climate change and its effect on flora and fauna

Abstract

Climate is a region's general pattern and synthetic atmospheric or weather conditions over a long period. Average temperature and precipitation are the two main factors which determine a region's climate and its effect on people. Small amounts of certain gases play a key role in determining the average temperature and its climate. These gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide and synthetic chlorofluorocarbon. Together these gases are known as greenhouse gases, which allow mostly visible light and some infrared and ultraviolet radiation from the sun to pass through the troposphere. The earth's surface absorbs much of solar energy. This transforms it to longer wavelength infrared radiation which then rises into the troposphere. Some of the heat escapes into space and some is absorbed by molecules of greenhouse gases and emitted into the troposphere in the form of longer wave infrared radiation, which warms the air. This natural warming effect of troposphere is called the greenhouse effect. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, clearing forests and growing crops release carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. It is of great concern that large input of these gases into troposphere can enhance the earth's natural greenhouse effect and lead to global warming.