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Both the terrestrial and oceanic aspects of the Arctic region influence Arctic ecology. Two influential environmental factors are sea ice and permafrost. [editorializing] Arctic sea ice. Sea ice is frozen seawater that moves with oceanic currents. [40] It is a common habitat and resting place for animals, particularly during the winter months.
Human-caused climate change has dramatically increased the rate of glacial retreat within this ecoregion, even with the counterbalance of naturally heavy snowfall. Threats to wildlife include the loss of land area to sea-level rise, scouring of river beds by heavy snowmelt, saltwater intrusion into bodies of freshwater, and pollinator decline. [4]
Meanwhile, rising Arctic temperatures are driving ice melt, including on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is a major contributor to sea-level rise worldwide. Rising oceans are already increasing ...
These complex interactions between plants, animals and abiotic factors in the tundra are held together by the permafrost layer, located 450 metres (1,480 ft) under the soil. [3] However climate change is causing this crucial layer of frozen soil to melt. As a result, tundra communities are becoming unstable and basic processes are breaking down.
Biogeomorphology and ecogeomorphology can aid with assessing the impacts of global climate change. This can especially be seen in coastal and estuarine systems due to; sea level rise, increased global temperatures, increased sea temperature, a higher frequency in and intensity of storms, and varying distributions of precipitation. [ 15 ]
Scientists believe that if the Greenland ice sheet melts then the sea level could rise by 23 ft (7.0 m) [33] The melting of this ice sheet or others could have an effect on ocean currents. It could cause lower temperatures in northern North America. Rising of the sea level will also impact coastal areas. One example is in Bangladesh. If there ...
It differs from most other hypotheses in not postulating an upper limit to species richness set by various abiotic and biotic factors, i.e., it is a nonequilibrium hypothesis assuming a largely non-saturated niche space. It does accept that many other factors may play a role in causing latitudinal gradients in species richness as well.
Furthermore, climate change may cause ecological disruption among interacting species, via changes in behaviour and phenology, or via climate niche mismatch. [9] For example, climate change can cause species to move in different directions, potentially disrupting their interactions with each other. [10] [11]