D4.3  Climate Change

Guiding Questions:  
Guiding questions help students view the content of the syllabus through the conceptual lenses of both the themes and the levels of biological organization. ​​

• What are the drivers of climate change? (D4.3)
• What are the impacts of climate change on ecosystems?
  
  

​Linking Questions:  
Linking questions strengthen students’ understanding by making connections between topics.  The ideal outcome of the linking questions is networked knowledge.

• What are the impacts of climate change at each level of biological organization? (D4.3)
• What processes determine the distribution of organisms on Earth?

D4.3.1—  Anthropogenic causes of climate change.

• Outline the cause and consequence of the greenhouse effect.
• Outline the cause and consequence of the enhanced greenhouse effect.
• List anthropogenic sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane. 
• State that methane is oxidized to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Outline climate changes that can result from the enhanced greenhouse effect.
• Explain the correlation between atmospheric CO2 and methane concentrations since the industrial revolution and global temperatures.​

D4.3.2— Positive feedback cycles in global warming.

• Define positive feedback. 
• Outline five examples of positive feedback cycles related to global warming.

D4.3.3--  Change from net carbon accumulation to net loss in boreal forests as an example of a tipping point.

• Define tipping point.
• Explain changes in boreal forest carbon cycle due to climate change.

D4.3.4--  Melting of landfast ice and sea ice as examples of polar habitat change.

• Outline changes to polar landfast and sea ice habitat that result from global warming.
• Describe impact of changes to Antarctic polar ice on emperor penguin.
• Describe impact of changes to Arctic polar ice on walruses.​

D4.3.5— Changes in ocean currents altering the timing and extent of nutrient upwelling.

• Outline the cause of ocean stratification. 
• Define upwelling and current as ocean phenomena.
• Outline how a change in ocean currents and nutrient upwelling due to  global warming has led to a change in ocean primary production. 
• Discuss the consequences of a reduced ocean primary production on marine food chains. ​

D4.3.6- Poleward and upslope range shifts of temperate species.

• Explain how global warming has caused poleward and upslope shifts in habitats for temperate species. 
• Explain why tropical montane species may be more sensitive to temperature shifts that result from climate change.

 ​​​D4.3.7-  Threats to coral reefs as an example of potential ecosystem collapse.

• Outline the effect of atmospheric CO2 concentration on ocean pH.
• Describe the impacts of lower ocean pH and higher average ocean temperature on coral reefs.  
• Explain why loss of coral causes collapse of reef ecosystems.

D4.3.8- Afforestation, forest regeneration and restoration of peat-forming wetlands as approaches to carbon sequestration.

• ​Define carbon sequestration.
• Describe afforestation, and reforestation and restoration of peatlands as biologically based approaches to carbon sequestration.

AHL ​​​​​​​​D4.3.9-  Phenology as research into the timing of biological events.

• Define phenology. 
• List variables that impact phenology. 
• Discuss cause and consequence of phenological changes in an ecosystem. ​

AHL ​​​​​​​​D4.3.10- Disruption to the synchrony of phenological events by climate change.

• Describe the cause and consequences of desynchronization between the Arctic mouse-ear chickweed and arrival of migrating reindeer.
• Describe the cause and consequences of desynchronization between the breeding of the great tit and peak biomass of caterpillars in north European forests.​

AHL ​​​​​​​​D4.3.11- Increases the number of insect life cycles within a year due to climate change.

• Discuss changes in the number of annual insect life cycles due to climate change. 
• Outline the impact of increase of the spruce bark beetle life cycle on spruce trees in North America.​

AHL ​​​​​​​D4.3.12- Evolution as a consequence of climate change.

• Outline impact of climate change as a selection pressure.
  
• Explain changes in the colors variants of the tawny owl as an example of evolution in response to climate change. ​