How does the loss of glaciers (global warming) affect ecosystems?
Answer:
As the permanent ice and snow melts away, rivers and lakes will begin to dry up. The Great Lakes of North America are fed from cycling snow and ice. If not as much accumulates each year, then the lakes will recede each year. If not as much snow forms on the Rockies, then the South West will also have less water. You can see that there is much more to Global Warming than just rising sea levels.
Walk through a parking lot and put your hand on a white car. Then put your hand on a dark car. Dark car burns more because it absorbs hear.
Without glaciers to reflect back the sun's rays, the earth will get hotter just like those cars.
There's lots more that a real ecologist could explain.
Specifically relating to melted glaciers is the rising sea level. This changes ocean currents. In case you did not know, Great Britain is a perfect exampe of a country that would be MUCH colder if it were not for the Gulf Stream. Look at its latitude. People there should be freezing! If the currents change, then they will be. Around the world, places will get warmer for the most part (except in the above mentioned Great Britain, and places like Iceland etc). I read an article that estimated Wisconsin's climate would resemble that of Arkansas by 2050. Some places will lose their ability to produce fertile crops and some will acquire this trait. On average though, food production will fall (right at the time when the population is growing! OOps, all of our problems directly relate to overpopulation). Pests will be able to dominate the agricultural scene, because they will be able to survive in a larger range of areas (some cold regions will become more temperate). I could write about this forever, but I feel that I cannot effectively explain this. If you are still in school, then take AP Environmental Science (assuming the program is respectable in your school).
Best of Luck! Global warming is a serious problem.One that most of us will live through to see some of the consequences. (Drought, Wars over water (as if oil wasnt enough!), rising sea level) We are in for some hell! Mankind will continue, but what we consider an acceptable standard of living will fall, as the planet will no longer be able to sustain such a large number of people. We created this problem by having too many people, and it is going to come back and kill many of us off :(
If the ice glaciers in the north pole will melt, polar bears will be swimming in the cold water forever looking for ice to rest and lay on. If they don't find that ice, they can drown in the water and ... yeah. and then nobody will eat the seals
Sarah C said it well.
Now take Ice Cubes, place them on a saucer, get a bowl, fill it with water. As the ice melts , as the ice melts put the water from the melting into the bowl.
The saucer represents Earth Surface, the Bowl represents the Ocean.
I saw a student do this in a Science Fair about 25 years ago.In the bowl the girl did not fill it up, but used a Ruler on a stand. She put the ice in a Funnel and used a Heat Lamp to melt it.
The Funnel got HOT after the ice had melted, and the Earth, 5" on the ruler was overcome with water.
It is a pretty simple display, it makes sense and displays what is occurring.
How will if affect ecosystems? well as the glaciers melt it deteriorates polar bear habitat, polar bears are not able to feed on prey, like seals, an increase of seals means a decrease in fish, a decreas in fish means loss of jobs for fishermen, its a continuous chain, common people, we need to change!
I suggest everyone watch the move, "inconvenient Truth"
Directly, simple, there's animals that've learned to live with the ice, they're adapted to it, no ice, no animals. Simple stuff.
Think of glaciers and the snow pack surrounding them as a water battery. When you see the commercials for stuff like "Cold Mountain Springs", generally you see a glimpse of a snow covered mountain in the background. That is where it comes from.
So without the snow pack and glaciers (which is basically hard packed snow), you have seasonal water fall as the main source for those mountain springs. The water table (below ground rivers) also start drying up.
The ecosystem goes toward scrub forest - savanna - finally desert if the hydrological cycle is broken entirely.
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