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What is the general tend for the graph of changes in biosphere?

User Martinecko
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Final answer:

Biodiversity generally increases closer to the equator, but climate change is causing significant changes in the biosphere and threatening many species. Coral reefs, in particular, are at risk due to rising temperatures.

Step-by-step explanation:

One of the oldest observed patterns in ecology is that biodiversity increases closer to the equator. As latitude declines, the biodiversity in almost every taxonomic group of organisms tends to increase. This means that there are more species and more diverse ecosystems in tropical regions compared to polar regions.

However, it is important to note that climate change is currently having a significant impact on the biosphere. With the increase in global temperature, the impacts on and response of biological diversity are changing. The landscapes within which species would naturally move to adapt to climate change have been modified by human activities such as deforestation and agriculture, making it challenging for organisms to disperse and find suitable habitats.

Furthermore, the increase in global temperatures due to climate change can lead to rapid changes that threaten the survival of many species. Coral reefs, for example, are highly sensitive to temperature increases, and many scientists believe that global warming is pushing these ecosystems beyond their ability to recover.

User PWFraley
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Final answer:

The general trend in the biosphere due to climate change indicates increasing biodiversity towards the equator, rapid shifts in species distributions towards the poles, and significant risk to biomes like coral reefs due to rapid temperature increases. Human modification of landscapes is creating barriers for species adaptation, with the potential for extinctions before new adaptations can occur.

Step-by-step explanation:

The general trend for the graph of changes in the biosphere as a result of global warming reveals a pattern wherein biodiversity increases closer to the equator, but is under significant stress from climate change. On a global scale, the prediction demonstrates substantial shifts in species distributions, with marine species shifting toward the poles more rapidly than terrestrial ones. In essence, with the current conservative projection of a global temperature increase of 1-2°C over the coming decades, there is a stark warning from scientists about the impact on biomes such as coral reefs, which are at a high risk of not recovering from the rapid climatic changes. Such climatic changes are also predicted to have complex effects on the growth of forest ecosystems potentially affecting the balance between processes like photosynthesis and respiration.

With biodiversity patterns showing increasing risk as one moves away from the equator, and with substantial habitat modifications caused by human activities species are finding it increasingly difficult to adjust to rapid climatic shifts leading to potential extinctions before new adaptations can evolve. Historically, species have been able to adapt to climatic changes, but today's high modification of landscapes by human activity poses significant barriers for necessary species movements. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that we can expect a further increase in global temperatures, bringing more complex and harder-to-manage changes to the biosphere.

User Camous
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