Impacts of environmental changes on the distribution of organisms
I can evaluate evidence of the impacts of environmental changes on the distribution of organisms.
Impacts of environmental changes on the distribution of organisms
I can evaluate evidence of the impacts of environmental changes on the distribution of organisms.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are associated with climate change.
- Changes in ecosystems can affect mean temperature and water availability.
- Changes in ecosystems can leave organisms less well adapted to survive and thrive there.
- Evaluation of data linking changes in atmospheric gases and changes in biodiversity.
- Evaluation of data linking changes in water availability and changes in biodiversity.
Common misconception
A common misconception is that a small increase in greenhouse gases and a small rise in Earth's temperature will not have much impact on organisms on Earth beyond land ice melting.
The lesson discusses how small changes in weather patterns can have a significant impact on organisms as their habitats change and no longer provide them with food, shelter and a place to reproduce.
Keywords
Greenhouse gas - a gas responsible for the greenhouse effect by absorbing and re-radiating infrared radiation that warms the atmosphere
Climate change - a long-term shift in weather patterns
Distribution - where species are located
Abundance - how many individuals of a species are present
Biodiversity - the range of different living organisms (species) that live in a place
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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