Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems

This modelling study demonstrates at what level of global mean temperature rise. (∆Tg) regions will be exposed to significant decreases of freshwater availability and changes to terrestrial ecosystems. Projections are based on a new, consistent set of 152 climate scenarios (eight ∆Tg trajectories re...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gerten, D., Lucht, W., Ostberg, S., Heinke, J., Kowarsch, M., Kreft, Holger, Kundzewicz, Z.W., Rastgooy, J., Warren, R., Schellnhuber, H.J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: IOP Publishing 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34462
_version_ 1855518004149747712
author Gerten, D.
Lucht, W.
Ostberg, S.
Heinke, J.
Kowarsch, M.
Kreft, Holger
Kundzewicz, Z.W.
Rastgooy, J.
Warren, R.
Schellnhuber, H.J.
author_browse Gerten, D.
Heinke, J.
Kowarsch, M.
Kreft, Holger
Kundzewicz, Z.W.
Lucht, W.
Ostberg, S.
Rastgooy, J.
Schellnhuber, H.J.
Warren, R.
author_facet Gerten, D.
Lucht, W.
Ostberg, S.
Heinke, J.
Kowarsch, M.
Kreft, Holger
Kundzewicz, Z.W.
Rastgooy, J.
Warren, R.
Schellnhuber, H.J.
author_sort Gerten, D.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This modelling study demonstrates at what level of global mean temperature rise. (∆Tg) regions will be exposed to significant decreases of freshwater availability and changes to terrestrial ecosystems. Projections are based on a new, consistent set of 152 climate scenarios (eight ∆Tg trajectories reaching 1.5–5oC above pre-industrial levels by 2100, each scaled with spatial patterns from 19 general circulation models). The results suggest that already at a ∆Tg of 2oC and mainly in the subtropics, higher water scarcity would occur in >50% out of the 19 climate scenarios. Substantial biogeochemical and vegetation structural changes would also occur at 2oC, but mainly in subpolar and semiarid ecosystems. Other regions would be affected at higher ∆Tg levels, with lower intensity or with lower confidence. In total, mean global warming levels of 2oC, 3.5oC and 5oC are simulated to expose an additional 8%, 11% and 13% of the world population to new or aggravated water scarcity, respectively, with >50% confidence (while~1.3 billion people already live in water-scarce regions). Concurrently, substantial habitat transformations would occur in biogeographic regions that contain 1% (in zones affected at 2oC), 10% (3.5oC) and 74% (5oC) of present endemism-weighted vascular plant species, respectively. The results suggest nonlinear growth of impacts along with 1Tg and highlight regional disparities in impact magnitudes and critical ∆Tg levels.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace34462
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher IOP Publishing
publisherStr IOP Publishing
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace344622024-05-01T08:15:41Z Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems Gerten, D. Lucht, W. Ostberg, S. Heinke, J. Kowarsch, M. Kreft, Holger Kundzewicz, Z.W. Rastgooy, J. Warren, R. Schellnhuber, H.J. environment climate change This modelling study demonstrates at what level of global mean temperature rise. (∆Tg) regions will be exposed to significant decreases of freshwater availability and changes to terrestrial ecosystems. Projections are based on a new, consistent set of 152 climate scenarios (eight ∆Tg trajectories reaching 1.5–5oC above pre-industrial levels by 2100, each scaled with spatial patterns from 19 general circulation models). The results suggest that already at a ∆Tg of 2oC and mainly in the subtropics, higher water scarcity would occur in >50% out of the 19 climate scenarios. Substantial biogeochemical and vegetation structural changes would also occur at 2oC, but mainly in subpolar and semiarid ecosystems. Other regions would be affected at higher ∆Tg levels, with lower intensity or with lower confidence. In total, mean global warming levels of 2oC, 3.5oC and 5oC are simulated to expose an additional 8%, 11% and 13% of the world population to new or aggravated water scarcity, respectively, with >50% confidence (while~1.3 billion people already live in water-scarce regions). Concurrently, substantial habitat transformations would occur in biogeographic regions that contain 1% (in zones affected at 2oC), 10% (3.5oC) and 74% (5oC) of present endemism-weighted vascular plant species, respectively. The results suggest nonlinear growth of impacts along with 1Tg and highlight regional disparities in impact magnitudes and critical ∆Tg levels. 2013-09-01 2014-02-02T09:29:02Z 2014-02-02T09:29:02Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34462 en Open Access IOP Publishing Gerten, D., Lucht, W., Ostberg, S., Heinke, J., Kowarsch, M., Kreft, H., Kundzewicz, Z.W., Rastgooy, J., Warren, R. and Schellnhuber, H. J. 2013. Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters 8(3)
spellingShingle environment
climate change
Gerten, D.
Lucht, W.
Ostberg, S.
Heinke, J.
Kowarsch, M.
Kreft, Holger
Kundzewicz, Z.W.
Rastgooy, J.
Warren, R.
Schellnhuber, H.J.
Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
title Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
title_full Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
title_fullStr Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
title_full_unstemmed Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
title_short Asynchronous exposure to global warming: Freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
title_sort asynchronous exposure to global warming freshwater resources and terrestrial ecosystems
topic environment
climate change
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34462
work_keys_str_mv AT gertend asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT luchtw asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT ostbergs asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT heinkej asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT kowarschm asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT kreftholger asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT kundzewiczzw asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT rastgooyj asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT warrenr asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems
AT schellnhuberhj asynchronousexposuretoglobalwarmingfreshwaterresourcesandterrestrialecosystems