Effects of Greenhouse Gases on Climate and Living Species Essay Example

carbon released into the atmosphere annually through this process (Ayres & Walter, 1991).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas contributing the largest percentage on the greenhouse effect. Its emission is usually through natural processes like animal and plant respiration, volcanic activities, and exchange of oceanic atmosphere. Human activities like cultivation and burning of fossils also contribute to its emission (Rosenzweig et al., 2014).

The above negative feedback loop illustrates effects of CO2 emission into the atmosphere. Increased emissions warm the atmosphere, which reduces the intake of CO2. This pollutes the environment and animals that require oxygen for metabolism, reducing their population as they compete for limited oxygen available in the atmosphere (Cox et al., 2000).

Methane (CH4) emission can be through both human and natural activities. Natural wetlands naturally emit methane. Human activities like fossil fuel extraction and transport have also contributed to its increase in the atmosphere. Concentration of methane increased mainly in the 20th century due to increased industrialization. Like the other greenhouse gases, Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emission result from natural or human activities. Fuel burning and electricity production has led to an increase in emission of nitrogen oxide gas (Eichner, 1990). Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a 20% rise in concentration of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere (Sumaila et al., 2011). Water vapor is another greenhouse gas contributing to greenhouse effect. The global temperature changes have influenced rates of evaporation and precipitation.

Another gas is tropospheric ozone (O3). Its main source is chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and organic compounds from automobiles or industrial emissions in presence of sunlight. The resulting ozone traps heat, which not only affects the climate but also

respiratory diseases. It also disrupts growth of crops and ecosystems. F-gases or fluorocarbon gases are also a greenhouse gases with a long atmospheric lifetime unlike water vapor and O3, which have short atmospheric lifetime. F-gases are used in coolants, pesticides, and foaming agents. Their release into the atmosphere negatively affects the climate (Dove, 1996).

Photosynthesis - Respiration-Combustion

Photosynthesis
CO2 + H2O + sunlight -> CH2O + O2
Respiration
O2 + CH2O -> energy + H2O + CO2
Combustion
O2 + hydrocarbons -> energy + H2O + CO2

Differences in temperatures are due to greenhouses suite. They affect energy balance of the Earth system by the absorption of infrared radiations. The Earth emits infrared radiations to balance absorption of solar radiations. However, due to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the atmosphere absorbs more infrared energy than the solar radiations it is emitting to space. This leads to warming of the Earth atmosphere and surface temperature. Continued release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere increases the rate of infrared trapping in the Earth’s surface, resulting to enhanced greenhouse effect (Nobre et al., 1991).

Biologists have tried to look at how the greenhouse effect affects living organisms. They have tried to show how species respond behave in case of climate changes; do they migrate or remain on their current habitats. It is important to note that individual species responds individually to climate changes. Those who are able to adapt to changes in climate, as Charles Darwin states survives to maturity. Those that fail to adapt to these changes become extinct while some migrate to new habitats. Climate changes also affect the entire communities of animals and plants. In some occasions, few communities form while others shift (Nobre et al.,

1991).

According to a research by Margaret Davis from University of Minnesota, doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has great effects on species. According to her, the doubling causes four species to shift from their current habitats to about 500 kilometers to the north to find a suitable climate and habitat. She explains that Beech present in east of Mississippi River would shift to areas like Hudson Bay (Dove, 1996). She explains this to illustrate that greenhouse effect leads to shifts in forests. The shifting of the forests affects even the animals. For example, Davis gives an example of Kirtland’s warbler. The endangered bird only breeds on sandy soils of Michigan’s jack pine. If the forests were to shift north due to increased carbon emissions, the birds can be adversely affected. Climate change has also led to evolutionary and morphological changes to both plants and animals.

A good example is Drosophilla subobscura originally from Europe. The flies have longer wings in countries situated in the north than those in the south. After their introduction in western U.S., flies that had same wing length mimicked their ancestors by adapting the temperature incline from south to north. Those in the North developed long wings while those in south California developed short wings. This is an evidence that changes in climate affects how species respond.

Global climate change has also affected the timing of biological events. For example, a research by Brown (1999) on breeding season of study birds indicate that laying dates correlated with the climate. They found out that laying by the study birds happened during the May temperatures. However, in present years that are characterized by increased

greenhouse gas emissions, the patterns have changed. The birds are laying eggs earlier than they used to. In Europe, trees are leafing and flowering earlier lengthening the vegetative growing season by about 11 days compared to 1960s.

Changes in climate have led to changes in population size among animals and plants. El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSCO) is a weather pattern that influences precipitation and temperature in the western Hemisphere. During this period, food reduction in winters is evident. The limited food during this period increases food competition among species leading to what Charles Darwin refers to as struggle for existence. Those species with competitive advantages survive to maturity while those with unfavorable features become extinct through a process referred to as natural selection (Rosenzweig et al., 2014). Sea level increase is another result of increased greenhouse gases emission into the atmosphere. The climate change has led to large-scale floods in places like California and India in the past years due to seal level rise.

The water washes away cities, animals, and plants, thus disrupting the ecosystem. During these floods, death of many water species like fish is eminent. Traditional biology indicates that melting of ice on mountaintops has led to rise of water levels due to water generated from the melting ice. Recent research indicates that the rise in air temperatures with around 80C due to the trapping of infrared radiations by greenhouse gases has led to thermal expansion of seawater, leading to floods (Schneider & McCarl, 2003). Rainfall patterns have also changed as differential heating of the air layers in different latitudes governs the patterns. However, due to the rise in air temperatures, the heating pattern

has changed. The rainfall has reduced in many areas. The distribution patterns are unpredictable as there is experience of delays in many places. Other places experience an increased rainfall, which has changed the hydrological cycles.

The changes in air temperature and rainfall patterns have led to prolonged winters and severe summer seasons. The increase in uncertainty has reduced the dependability degree. There is also a shift in disease and pest cycles. People could predict attack of diseases and pests in reference to seasons (Rosenzweig et al., 2014). This has seen some diseases and pests increase or reduce gradually. Cotton farmers, for example, have seen an increase in Armigera pests and decrease in diseases like black arm. The unpredictability nature of the habit’s climate has made animals and plants to be caught unaware with some diseases and pests (Karl & Trenberth, 2003). Before, people easily predicted season changes. Global warming, which result due to the changes in climate has altered many patterns.

Farmers are finding it hard to carry out their planting or harvesting activities as they did before global warming. They could plant even before the rainfall started, as they knew the exact months of rainfall. Nowadays, they cannot do that as they can plant and experience rainfall delays.

The flow diagram below illustrates how the greenhouse effect arises and how its effects on climate have on living species. The heating of greenhouse gases by the sunlight leads to greenhouse effect as explained in this paper. The effect leads to changes in climate patterns like rainfall patterns. The changes in climate negatively affect the metabolic rate of the living organisms, reducing the population size, and sometimes causing extinction

of some species. Some species separate with their original ecosystems as they migrate to look for favorable climatic conditions. New diseases emerge, which destroy plants and animals (Karl & Trenberth, 2003).

The above explanations are an indication that presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere makes storage of unnecessary heat at the surface making the world warmer than necessary. The sources of these gases are increased use of fossil fuels, use of pesticides, production of electricity, volcanic process and other natural and human activities mentioned in this work. This has led to changes in climate, which has directly affected temperature and precipitation patterns across the globe. According to biologists, the climate changes affect both plants and animals in many issues including size of their population, physical structures, behavior and metabolism, ecological event timing like flowering and breeding (Cox et al., 2000).

Plants, for example, forests and animals have shifted from their original habitats to other areas northward or other areas will conducive climates, with some becoming extinct. The shifts have negatively affected the species composition in communities, thus hindering interaction. The shifts also interfere with competition and predator-prey relationships, which have led to the reduction in regional biodiversity (Smith et al., 2003). Further, climate change has affected ecosystem processes like carbon cycling. There is lengthening of growing seasons. This has altered the CO2 cycle, as plants are the ones that control carbon flow through the ecosystems. Therefore, public including students should avoid emitting greenhouse gases to the atmosphere to save future plants and animal species.

References

1. Ayres, R. U., & Walter, J. (1991). The greenhouse effect: damages, costs and abatement. Environmental and Resource Economics, 1(3), 237-270.
2. Brown, J.
   

L., Li, S. H., & Bhagabati, N. (1999). Long-term trend toward earlier breeding in an American bird: A response to global warming?. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 96(10), 5565-5569.