The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss
The cryosphere—the portion of the Earth's surface where water is in solid form for at least one month of the year—has been shrinking in response to climate warming. The extents of sea ice, snow, and glaciers, for example, have been decreasing. In response, the ecosystems within the cryosphere a...
Published in: | BioScience |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Institute of Biological Sciences
2012
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 |
id |
ftbioone:10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftbioone:10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 2024-05-12T08:10:53+00:00 The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss Andrew G. Fountain John L. Campbell Edward A. G. Schuur Sharon E. Stammerjohn Mark W. Williams Hugh W. Ducklow Andrew G. Fountain John L. Campbell Edward A. G. Schuur Sharon E. Stammerjohn Mark W. Williams Hugh W. Ducklow world 2012-04-01 text/HTML https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 en eng American Institute of Biological Sciences doi:10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 All rights reserved. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 Text 2012 ftbioone https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 2024-04-16T02:14:21Z The cryosphere—the portion of the Earth's surface where water is in solid form for at least one month of the year—has been shrinking in response to climate warming. The extents of sea ice, snow, and glaciers, for example, have been decreasing. In response, the ecosystems within the cryosphere and those that depend on the cryosphere have been changing. We identify two principal aspects of ecosystem-level responses to cryosphere loss: (1) trophodynamic alterations resulting from the loss of habitat and species loss or replacement and (2) changes in the rates and mechanisms of biogeochemical storage and cycling of carbon and nutrients, caused by changes in physical forcings or ecological community functioning. These changes affect biota in positive or negative ways, depending on how they interact with the cryosphere. The important outcome, however, is the change and the response the human social system (infrastructure, food, water, recreation) will have to that change. Text Sea ice BioOne Online Journals BioScience 62 4 405 415 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
BioOne Online Journals |
op_collection_id |
ftbioone |
language |
English |
description |
The cryosphere—the portion of the Earth's surface where water is in solid form for at least one month of the year—has been shrinking in response to climate warming. The extents of sea ice, snow, and glaciers, for example, have been decreasing. In response, the ecosystems within the cryosphere and those that depend on the cryosphere have been changing. We identify two principal aspects of ecosystem-level responses to cryosphere loss: (1) trophodynamic alterations resulting from the loss of habitat and species loss or replacement and (2) changes in the rates and mechanisms of biogeochemical storage and cycling of carbon and nutrients, caused by changes in physical forcings or ecological community functioning. These changes affect biota in positive or negative ways, depending on how they interact with the cryosphere. The important outcome, however, is the change and the response the human social system (infrastructure, food, water, recreation) will have to that change. |
author2 |
Andrew G. Fountain John L. Campbell Edward A. G. Schuur Sharon E. Stammerjohn Mark W. Williams Hugh W. Ducklow |
format |
Text |
author |
Andrew G. Fountain John L. Campbell Edward A. G. Schuur Sharon E. Stammerjohn Mark W. Williams Hugh W. Ducklow |
spellingShingle |
Andrew G. Fountain John L. Campbell Edward A. G. Schuur Sharon E. Stammerjohn Mark W. Williams Hugh W. Ducklow The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss |
author_facet |
Andrew G. Fountain John L. Campbell Edward A. G. Schuur Sharon E. Stammerjohn Mark W. Williams Hugh W. Ducklow |
author_sort |
Andrew G. Fountain |
title |
The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss |
title_short |
The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss |
title_full |
The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss |
title_fullStr |
The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Disappearing Cryosphere: Impacts and Ecosystem Responses to Rapid Cryosphere Loss |
title_sort |
disappearing cryosphere: impacts and ecosystem responses to rapid cryosphere loss |
publisher |
American Institute of Biological Sciences |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 |
op_coverage |
world |
genre |
Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Sea ice |
op_source |
https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 |
op_relation |
doi:10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 |
op_rights |
All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.11 |
container_title |
BioScience |
container_volume |
62 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
405 |
op_container_end_page |
415 |
_version_ |
1798854424668405760 |