| Nelson, G. C., Cheung, W. W. L., Bezner Kerr, R., Franke, J., Meza, F., Oyinlola, M. A., Thornton, P., & Zabel, F. (2024). Adaptation to climate change and limits in food production systems: Physics, the chemistry of biology, and human behavior. In Global Change Biology (Vol. 30, Issue 9). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17489 |
CORU Leader Dr. William Cheung is a co-editor on this paper, additionally co-authored by CORU’s Dr. Muhammed A. Oyinlola, which focuses on how climate change is altering plant ecosystems across the globe. Dr. Cheung and his co-authors discuss how rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased atmospheric CO2 are reshaping plant communities, leading to shifts in biodiversity. These changes, in turn, disrupt ecosystem services—functions that ecosystems provide and that are essential for human and environmental health, such as carbon sequestration, water purification, and habitat support for wildlife.
One of the key concerns raised in the paper is that many plant species will face challenges adapting to these rapid changes, potentially leading to biodiversity loss. As species struggle to migrate or adapt to new conditions, this could have cascading effects on entire ecosystems, affecting both plants and the species that rely on them. Furthermore, the study highlights that changes in vegetation patterns could alter the ability of ecosystems to store carbon, exacerbating climate change.
The paper also emphasizes the role that humans play in both contributing to and mitigating these impacts. Conservation strategies, habitat restoration, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are critical in preserving plant biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide.