How does climate change impact fungal biodiversity?5 answersClimate change has a significant impact on fungal biodiversity. Studies have shown that climate change affects all levels of biodiversity, including microorganisms such as fungi. However, compared to plants and animals, there is limited research on the response of fungi to climate change. Rising temperatures due to global warming can lead to differences in the habitat suitability and distribution of fungi, particularly in Europe. Predicted climate scenarios, such as heat waves, can have varying effects on different fungal species. Some species, like Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger, are able to tolerate heat waves, while others, like Penicillium and Talaromyces spp., are unable to grow under such conditions. Overall, the effects of climate change on fungi have implications for plant protection, environment, and the economy. Understanding the impact of climate change on fungal biodiversity is crucial for decision-making and conservation efforts.
What is the impact of climate change on the distribution and abundance of sargassum seaweed?4 answersClimate change has had a significant impact on the distribution and abundance of sargassum seaweed. The emergence of extensive mats of sargassum in the tropical Atlantic since 2011, known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB), is attributed to climate change. The proliferation of sargassum blooms in the equatorial Atlantic and Caribbean Sea has resulted in swamped beaches and significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. In temperate reefs, the warming oceans have led to a decrease in cool-water kelps and an increase in warm-water sargassum, which is expected to modify associated communities. Along the Northwest Pacific coast, the range of Sargassum horneri has been affected by climate-driven shifts, with potential refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum and projected range shifts under future climate scenarios. The increase in sargassum has had devastating impacts on fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities, highlighting the need for management strategies and sustainable uses of the seaweed.
What is the ecological importance of lichens?4 answersLichens have ecological importance as they play multiple roles in the environment. They act as bioindicators, helping to assess ecosystem health and air quality by reflecting changes in lichen community composition and physiology due to nitrogen pollution. Lichens are also pioneer and keystone species, contributing to the formation of plant community microclimate and inhabiting areas unsuitable for other organisms. They have the ability to synthesize a range of chemicals that are beneficial to humans, making them valuable in the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, lichens contribute to erosion prevention, succession, and soil formation in nature. Their sensitivity to pollutants, such as greenhouse gases, pesticides, heavy metals, and acid rain, makes them useful for tracing the presence of pollutants in agroecosystems. Overall, lichens are important components of biodiversity and have significant ecological roles in various ecosystems.
How does climate change affect the distribution of invasive plants?4 answersClimate change has the potential to alter the size, shape, and location of species' distributions, including invasive plants. As a result, the interactions between species are also likely to be impacted as novel species encounter each other and historical community assemblages are broken apart. Invasive species are extremely adaptable to climate variability and have rapid dispersal characteristics, allowing them to vary their ranges in response to changing climatic conditions rapidly. The distribution patterns of invasive weed species, such as stranglewort, are predicted to expand under various climate scenarios, particularly in agricultural landscapes. Species distribution modeling can be used to evaluate invasion risk and prioritize areas for control and management of invasive species. It has been shown that climate change increases the risk of invasiveness for ecosystem-disturbing alien plant species, and these models can be valuable tools for risk assessment. Climate change can have divergent impacts on the potential distribution of invasive species, as seen in the case of two invasive cryptic species of the Bemisia tabaci complex in China.
What are the indicators of climate change?4 answersIndicators of climate change include emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate forcers, greenhouse gas concentrations, radiative forcing, surface temperature changes, the Earth's energy imbalance, warming attributed to human activities, the remaining carbon budget, and estimates of global temperature extremes. Additionally, weather and climate extreme indicators, such as annual maximum temperature and number of hot days, can be used to assess the frequency, duration, magnitude, and spatial extent of extreme events. Algae can also serve as biological indicators for changing climate due to their sensitivity and ability to accumulate pollutants. In the context of soil monitoring, indicators such as salinity, alkalinity, fertility, phytotoxicity, erosion, biodiversity, and organic carbon can be used to assess the state of Mediterranean rainfed soils and their adaptation to climate change.
How fast biocrusts lichens mosses activity changes depending on water availablity and light availability?5 answersBiocrusts, including lichens and mosses, show changes in activity depending on water availability and light availability. The reactivation of photosynthetic activity in lichens and mosses after dry periods is influenced by the duration of drought. Water availability plays a vital role in the carbon balance of biocrusts, with higher water additions leading to carbon fixation, especially in moss-dominated crusts. The activity of lichens is evident over a longer period in locations with higher light availability and meltwater availability. Biocrusts have a higher soil water holding capacity and water availability compared to bare soil, with the effects being stronger on aeolian sand than on loess soil. Different species of lichens in the Arctic have different water availabilities due to their substrates and morphological characteristics, affecting their photosynthetic activity periods.