This article discusses the efforts of 5 different science teams racing to study how climate change effects the Ecosystems they study before the disappear. From mountain glaciers to coastal seabeds, five research projects to watch as scientists race to understand the human drivers of global warming.
The landscapes and climate in many parts of the world could be nearly unrecognizable by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace, research suggests.
In the mountains and high latitudes, snow and ice are vanishing. In drier areas, large swaths of forests are dying. Along the coast, the rising ocean and stronger storms are taking bigger bites of land while the warming waters change the ecosystems under the waves.
Earth’s physical features and its ecosystems are woven into a complex and dynamic system, and scientists are studying its many strands to paint a picture of how the world may look by 2100, and how that will affect people, landscapes and resources.
These five science teams are racing global warming as the landscapes they study change before their eyes.