Global Warming: Is Summer Getting Hotter?

        In the past few years, the average temperature increased to a noticeable level. Summer season became hotter and hotter. Many plants that used to grow in cold weather started to retreat to polar zones. Although the increase in the temperature may not appear much, the effect on the ecosystem is dramatic (Root).

Increasing temperature results in a decrease in plant biodiversity

          The short periods of ice during winter season near mountains areas affect the biodiversity of the plants in colder zones. The thickness of the glacier layers showed a decrease in the thickness during the past hundred years and the extent of summer seasons near the Arctic zone. The increase in the temperature forced the alpine floras to the top of the mountains. The cold zone floras bloom extended due to extend of summer. Although the extent in the blooming periods of the floras during the summer season; the continuous increase in the temperatures in colder zones resulted in a crawl of warm zone floras cover in the Arctic and a retreat of cold zones flora cover. The retreat of colder flora against the warm flora cover threatens the biodiversity near the mountain’s areas; where the cold climate is overcome by a longer summer season (Crawford).

Evidence of increasing temperature affects plant growth and yield

           A team of researchers in the International Rice Research Institute explored the effect of increasing temperature and global warming on the yield of rice. The group examined the yield of the institute farm between the years 1992 and 2003. They correlated the 10% decline of the rice grain yield with the increase in the annual temperature minimum and maximum, 0.35^oC and 1.3^oC respectively. The group concluded that the decline was in close relation to the increase in the temperature during night time between the investigated years (Peng).

The increase in carbon dioxide ratios

          The emission of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere coming from burning fuel due to industrialization increased the level of carbon dioxide gas level. The increase in levels of greenhouse gas—carbon dioxide gas— showed a strong relation to the increase of the temperature (Bazzaz). Carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) in the atmosphere acts as a trap for the sun rays, preventing rays from reflecting into space. As the level of CO₂ increases, an increase in the rate of aquatic phytoplankton and algae photosynthesis happens leading to blooming effect. Many studies argued that although the increase of photosynthesis rates should be accompanied by a high release of oxygen gas (O­₂), the decomposition of a large scale of phytoplankton results in the consumption of O₂ in the lower part of the water body. Recently, many lakes in Europe suffer the Eutrophication—well-nourished— that cause less biodiversity in lakes and threaten the aquatic animal’s life (Smith).

           Many other factors are investigated to give a complete picture of factors accompanying global warming. Researchers are working hard to contain the problems associated with global warming.
The global warming started to increase to an alarming level that cannot be ignored. People should stop acting as if the researchers’ results are speculations and start treating global warming as a fact already happening.




References:

Bazzaz, F.A. "The response of natural ecosystems to the rising global CO2 levels ." Annual review of ecology and systematics 21.1 (1990): 167-196.

Crawford, R.M. "Cold climate plants in a warmer world." Plant Ecology & Diversity 1.2 (2008): 285-297.

Peng, S., Huang, J., Sheehy, J.E., Laza, R.C., Visperas, R.M., Zhong, X., Centeno, G.S., Khush, G.S. and Cassman, K.G. "Rice yields decline with higher night temperature from global warming." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101.27 (2004): 9971-9975.

Root, T. L., Price, J. T., Hall, K. R., Schneider, S. H., Rosenzweig, C., & Pounds, J. A. "Fingerprints of global warming on wild animals and plant." Nature 421.6918 (2003): 57-60.

Smith, V.H., Tilman, G.D. and Nekola, J.C. "Eutrophication: impacts of excess nutrient inputs on freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems." Environmental pollution 100.1-3 (1999): 179-196.