Effects Of Anthropogenic Global Warming Research Articles

Addressing Global Warming Denialism

Abstract Despite the scientific consensus concerning the current causes and future effects of anthropogenic global warming, there has been little to no improvement in public opinion, attitudes, or behavior related to its mitigation. This article examines how different information conveyance strategies affect belief in global warming. Three experiments reveal that a fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanism of global warming—the greenhouse gas effect—is integral to belief in the existence of global warming. Specifically, the current research demonstrates that persuasive messaging incorporating an explanation of the mechanism (versus consequences) underlying global warming leads to belief change (study 1); that this effect is moderated by political orientation, such that the effect of mechanism-understanding on global warming belief is greater for conservatives (study 1, 2, and 3); that understanding of the mechanism underlying global warming affects willingness to engage in sustainable activities and buying socially conscious products (study 2); and that the effect persists over time and can influence actual donation behavior (study 3). Social, public policy, and marketing implications for this strategy are discussed.

Limiting sea-level rise sustainably

Natural Hazards One of the most devastating effects of anthropogenic global warming will be sea-level rise. Sound climate policy depends on robust predictions of the degree of sea-level rise associated with various emission scenarios. However, over the course of centuries, sea level will respond to atmospheric radiative forcing quite differently than surface temperature, the main focus of current emissions limits. Li et al. developed integrated assessment models that suggest that a more effective way forward involves formally establishing acceptable targets for sea-level rise. According to this work, climate policies designed specifically to limit sea-level rise may be more sustainable and less expensive than policies driven by temperature targets alone. Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.aaw9490 (2019).

Differential effects of climate warming on reproduction and functional responses on insects in the fourth trophic level

Abstract Understanding the effects of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) on species interactions is essential for predicting community responses to climate change. However, while effects of AGW on resource–consumer interactions at the first and second trophic level have been well studied, little is known about effects on interactions at higher trophic levels at the terminal end of food chains (e.g. in the third and fourth trophic levels). Here, we examined the effects of temperature variability by simulating heatwaves on functional responses of two species at the fourth trophic level (hyperparasitoids) that parasitize host species at the third trophic level (parasitoid cocoons). We found that host cocoons developed faster under simulated heatwave conditions, decreasing the temporal window of susceptibility of the host cocoons to parasitism by the two hyperparasitoids, and consequently parasitism declined with temperature. However, the effects of a simulated heatwave markedly differed among the two hyperparasitoid species; temperature and host quality had a much stronger effect on early reproduction in the less fecund hyperparasitoid Gelis agilis, than in the more fecund species Acrolyta nens. Our results suggest that exposure to heatwaves, that are expected to increase in frequency, will affect the ability of species at higher trophic levels to exploit transient resources whose suitability is temperature‐dependent. In turn, the observed effects of AGW on the functional responses of the hyperparasitoids may disrupt trophic interactions and have profound impact on population dynamics and ecological processes. A plain language summary is available for this article.

Effect of temperature and dissolved oxygen on swimming performance in crucian carp

AB Aquatic Biology Contact the journal Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections AB 21:57-65 (2014) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00571 Effect of temperature and dissolved oxygen on swimming performance in crucian carp Liu-Yi Penghan, Zhen-Dong Cao, Shi-Jian Fu* Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, PRChina *Corresponding author: shijianfu9@hotmail.com ABSTRACT: Changing environmental conditions may affect the swimming performance of fish by affecting energy sources through changes in temperature and concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO). It has become increasingly important to investigate the effect of temperature and DO on the swimming performance of fish species as hypoxia in aquatic environments worldwide is increasing due to the effects of anthropogenic global warming. To test how different swimming modes respond to thermal and DO changes, 3 measures of swimming performance were tested: critical swimming speed (Ucrit), constant acceleration speed (Ucat), and maximum speed during a fast-start (Ufast). The changes in these 3 aspects of swimming performance in juvenile crucian carp Carassius carassius were quantified at 2 different temperatures (10 and 20°C) and 3 different DO concentrations (2.5, 5, and 9 mg l-1). Ucat was ca. 110 to 156% of Ucrit, whereas Ufast was ca. 394 to 472% of Ucrit, depending on the experimental conditions. Temperature had a significant effect on all 3 measures of swimming performance, whereas DO had significant effects only on Ucat and Ucrit (Ucrit but not Ucat decreased in the 2.5 mg l-1 DO group). The active metabolic rate (MO2active) under the different experimental conditions suggested that the decrease in Ucrit at a lower temperature and DO level could be partially explained by a decrease in oxygen uptake capacity. These results indicate that all 3 swimming measurements should be used when addressing how temperature affects swimming performance. KEY WORDS: Aerobic and anaerobic locomotion · Constant acceleration speed · Critical swimming speed · Crucian carp · Environmental condition · Fast-start swimming performance · Swimming performance Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Penghan LY, Cao ZD, Fu SJ (2014) Effect of temperature and dissolved oxygen on swimming performance in crucian carp. Aquat Biol 21:57-65. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00571 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in AB Vol. 21, No. 1. Online publication date: June 18, 2014 Print ISSN: 1864-7782; Online ISSN: 1864-7790 Copyright © 2014 Inter-Research.

High estimates of supply constrained emissions scenarios for long-term climate risk assessment

The simulated effects of anthropogenic global warming have become important in many fields and most models agree that significant impacts are becoming unavoidable in the face of slow action. Improvements to model accuracy rely primarily on the refinement of parameter sensitivities and on plausible future carbon emissions trajectories. Carbon emissions are the leading cause of global warming, yet current considerations of future emissions do not consider structural limits to fossil fuel supply, invoking a wide range of uncertainty. Moreover, outdated assumptions regarding the future abundance of fossil energy could contribute to misleading projections of both economic growth and climate change vulnerability. Here we present an easily replicable mathematical model that considers fundamental supply-side constraints and demonstrate its use in a stochastic analysis to produce a theoretical upper limit to future emissions. The results show a significant reduction in prior uncertainty around projected long term emissions, and even assuming high estimates of all fossil fuel resources and high growth of unconventional production, cumulative emissions tend to align to the current medium emissions scenarios in the second half of this century. This significant finding provides much-needed guidance on developing relevant emissions scenarios for long term climate change impact studies.

Phenological asynchrony between herbivorous insects and their hosts: signal of climate change or pre-existing adaptive strategy?

Climate change alters phenological relations between interacting species. We might expect the historical baseline, or starting-point, for such effects to be precise synchrony between the season at which a consumer most requires food and the time when its resources are most available. We synthesize evidence that synchrony was not the historical condition in two insect-plant interactions involving Edith's checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha), the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) and their host plants. Initial observations of phenological mismatch in both systems were made prior to the onset of anthropogenically driven climate change. Neither species can detect the phenology of its host plants with precision. In both species, evolution of life history has involved compromise between maximizing fecundity and minimizing mortality, with the outcome being superficially maladaptive strategies in which many, or even most, individuals die of starvation through poor synchrony with their host plants. Where phenological asynchrony or mismatch with resources forms the starting point for effects of anthropogenic global warming, consumers are particularly vulnerable to impacts that exacerbate the mismatch. This vulnerability likely contributed to extinction of a well-studied metapopulation of Edith's checkerspot, and to the skewed geographical pattern of population extinctions underlying a northward and upward range shift in this species.