Report: Ecosystems More Stressed Than Ever
December 21, 2012
Scientists predict that marshes in the Plum Island Estuary in Massachusetts will submerge if sea level rises as expected. (Matthew Kirwan/USGS)
Natural ecosystems in the United States are under greater stress from climate change than at any previous time in human history, according to a new report.
Experts from government agencies, academia and environmental organizations say these stressed ecosystems are also stressing wild plant and animal species, threatening the nation’s biodiversity.
When Super Storm Sandy ravaged the U.S. East Coast and inundated New York City in late /October, many wondered if such extreme weather events might be linked to climate change, the gradual warming of the planet caused, in part, by decades of industrial emissions.
For New York governor Andrew Cuomo, there was no doubt.
“Climate change is a reality,” he said after Sandy struck.
Wreaking havoc
The same global reality that swamped New York City is also wreaking havoc on the nation’s wild places, according to a warning contained in the new report, "Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services."
Bruce Stein, a scientist with the National Wildlife Federation and a co-author of the report, says one of its key findings is that climate change is causing many plant and animal species to shift their geographic range and distribution faster than anticipated.
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