Final answer:
The Gulf Stream affects precipitation and temperature patterns, influencing mild climate and biodiversity in Europe, especially in Western Europe. Global warming may impact the Gulf Stream, leading to sea level rise and freshwater shortages, altering habitats and species distributions, including marine ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Another important effect of the Gulf Stream is its influence on precipitation patterns and temperature over Europe and other regions of the world. The waters from the Gulf Stream, which originate in the warm Gulf of Mexico, flow along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States before crossing the Atlantic to Europe, moderating climates and supporting tropical flora in locations as far north as the western coastal islands of Scotland.
While Western Europe benefits from these mild type C climates, Eastern Europe experiences colder type D climates due to the lack of influence from coastal bodies. Interior Europe can face winters that are comparable to the upper Midwestern United States. Furthermore, the Gulf Stream and its moderation of coastal climates can also be impacted by global warming, leading to rising ocean levels, displaced species, and potential shortages of freshwater due to disrupted cycles of glacial melting and refreezing. The increased temperature in high latitudes can be particularly significant in the northern hemisphere and affect various species range, such as the sugar maple and the Baltimore oriole, as well as impact marine ecosystems like plankton and eel grass distributions.