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2014, Inland Waters
Climate change impacts include such an overwhelming number of facets that the extent of references is impossible to cover. The selection presented in this review on global warming is presumably subjective, although the author has tried to assemble relevant and/or most recent information. The references specified should be regarded as examples that direct the reader to more information on a specific subject.
Environmental Management, 2015
There is general agreement among scientists that global temperatures are rising and will continue to increase in the future. It is also agreed that human activities are the most important causes of these climatic variations, and that water resources are already suffering and will continue to be greatly impaired as a consequence of these changes. In particular, it is probable that areas with limited water resources will expand and that an increase of global water demand will occur, estimated to be around 35-60 % by 2025 as a consequence of population growth and the competing needs of water uses. This will cause a growing imbalance between water demand (including the needs of nature) and supply. This urgency demands that climate change impacts on water be evaluated in different sectors using a cross-cutting approach (Contestabile in Nat Clim Chang 3:11-12, 2013). These issues were examined by the EU FP7-funded Co-ordination and support action ''Cli-mateWater'' (bridging the gap between adaptation strategies of climate change impacts and European water policies). The project studied adaptation strategies to minimize the water-related consequences of climate change and assessed how these strategies should be taken into consideration by European policies. This article emphasizes that knowledge gaps still exist about the direct effects of climate change on water bodies and their indirect impacts on production areas that employ large amounts of water (e.g., agriculture). Some sectors, such as ecohydrology and alternative sewage treatment technologies, could represent a powerful tool to mitigate climate change impacts. Research needs in these still novel fields are summarized.
Climatic Change, 2017
Impacts of climate change at 1.5, 2 and 3°C mean global warming above preindustrial level are investigated and compared for runoff, discharge and snowpack in Europe. Ensembles of climate projections representing each of the warming levels were assembled to describe the hydro-meteorological climate at 1.5, 2 and 3°C. These ensembles were then used to force an ensemble of five hydrological models and changes to hydrological indicators were calculated. It is seen that there are clear changes in local impacts on evapotranspiration, mean, low and high runoff and snow water equivalent between a 1.5, 2 and 3°C degree warmer world. In a warmer world, the hydrological impacts of climate change are more intense and spatially more extensive. Robust increases in runoff affect the Scandinavian mountains at 1.5°C, but at 3°C extend over most of Norway, Sweden and northern Poland. At 3°C, Norway is affected by robust changes in all indicators. Decreases in mean annual runoff are seen only in Portugal at 1.5°C warming, but at 3°C warming, decreases to runoff are seen around the entire Iberian coast, the Balkan Coast and parts of the French coast. In affected parts of Europe, there is a distinct increase in the changes to mean, low and high runoff at 2°C compared to 1.5°C, strengthening the case for mitigation to lower levels of global warming. Between 2 and 3°C, the changes in low and high runoff levels continue to increase, but the
Aquatic Ecology, 2005
Climate change will alter freshwater ecosystems but specific effects will vary among regions and the type of water body. Here, we give an integrative review of the observed and predicted impacts of climate change on shallow lakes in the Netherlands and put these impacts in an international perspective. Most of these lakes are man-made and have preset water levels and poorly developed littoral zones. Relevant climatic factors for these ecosystems are temperature, ice-cover and wind. Secondary factors affected by climate include nutrient loading, residence time and water levels. We reviewed the relevant literature in order to assess the impact of climate change on these lakes. We focussed on six management objectives as bioindicators for the functioning of these ecosystems: target species, nuisance species, invading species, transparency, carrying capacity and biodiversity. We conclude that climate change will likely (i) reduce the numbers of several target species of birds; (ii) favour and stabilize cyanobacterial dominance in phytoplankton communities; (iii) cause more serious incidents of botulism among waterfowl and enhance the spreading of mosquito borne diseases; (iv) benefit invaders originating from the Ponto-Caspian region; (v) stabilize turbid, phytoplankton-dominated systems, thus counteracting restoration measures; (vi) destabilize macrophyte-dominated clear-water lakes; (vii) increase the carrying capacity of primary producers, especially phytoplankton, thus mimicking eutrophication; (viii) affect higher trophic levels as a result of enhanced primary production; (ix) have a negative impact on biodiversity which is linked to the clear water state; (x) affect biodiversity by changing the disturbance regime. Water managers can counteract these developments by reduction of nutrient loading, development of the littoral zone, compartmentalization of lakes and fisheries management.
Austral Ecology, 2012
Changing climate and a changing planet In June 2008, one of us chanced upon a shepherd repairing his five-ft high (he didn't deal in metres) dry limestone walls on the uplands near Asby Scar in Cumbria, northwest England. We exchanged pleasantries that inevitably, this was Britain after all, embraced the weather. It was a bright warm day. But 'Bleak in winter up here' I said. 'Not so much in the past fifteen years' he replied, 'Before that the snow lay in drifts hiding the walls, but not any more'. It was yet another anecdotal sliver of evidence to complement the mass of information assembled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) on the reality of global warming. That Fourth Report of the IPCC summarized changes to date (Fig. 1.1) that included an almost 1°C increase in the northern hemisphere mean air temperature, over the years since the industrial revolution accelerated the yet unabated burning of fossil fuels. It presented evidence that these processes were related and that we could have high confidence that the temperature rise was largely human-induced. Linked with it have been changes in the distribution of rainfall, with generally more falling in winter or wet seasons and less in the summer and dry seasons. There has been an increase in sea level of about 20 cm, largely due to thermal expansion of the huge mass of oceanic water, to which the melting of the mountain and polar glaciers is now making a contribution. And there has been an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, such as cyclones, droughts and floods. In turn, there have been numerous records of changes in the phenology of species (
2009
The European Ecological Water Quality and Intercalibration action (EEWAI-22002) of the Rural Water and Ecosystem Resources Unit of the JRC-IES, carries out research to help the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) through developing and harmonising the assessment methods for water quality of surface water bodies and provides scientific and technical support for the Commission Services, other European institutions (such European Environment Agency, EEA), and EU Member States on development and ...
Impact of Climate Change on European Lakes, 2010
In Europe, the effects of global warming are expected to be particularly acute in areas exposed to a more extreme continental climate. The climate change scenarios summarized in Chapter 2, this volume, suggest that the average summer temperatures in some areas of Central Europe could increase by as much as 6 • C by 2071-2100. The associated projections for the rainfall give even more cause for concern with the reductions in some areas approaching 50% in summer. In this chapter we analyse impacts of changing weather conditions on lakes in Central Europe. Long-term data sets from a number of lakes are used to link measured variables to climate signals. Particular attention is paid to the lakes in the perialpine region which are known to be very sensitive to short-term changes in the weather (Psenner, 2003; Thompson et al., 2005). Here, the topography and the steep orography enhance the water cycle, and result in flooding, debris flows, avalanches, vertical plant migration etc. The Alps also form a barrier to the mass movement of air and are responsible for the sharp climatic divide between Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean influences. Central Europe is a variously and vaguely defined region. Rather than a physical entity, it is more a reflection of a shared history. The results summarized here are based on the analysis of long-term climatological and limnological data from the countries shown in Fig. 20.1. These include Germany (DE), Poland (PL), the Czech Republic (CZ), Slovakia (SK), Switzerland (CH), Lichtenstein (LI), Austria (AT) and Hungary (HU). The Central European countries are geographically diverse with landforms ranging from the North-German Lowlands, through the Alps to the Hungarian plain. The pannonian plain in the eastern part is also a major climatic 'crossing point' and is affected by the Eastern-European continental, the Western-European oceanic and the Mediterranean influence.
2006
Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006) Dissemination Level (tick appropriate box) PU Public PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services)
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, 2012
Consequently, the spatial and temporal variability of water resource, or in general the water balance, can be significantly which in turn affects agriculture, industry and urban development. Climate change is expected to have adverse impacts on socio economic development globally; the degree of the impact will vary across nations [7].
Present Environment and Sustainable Development
The actual period marred by the global warming requires expanding our knowledge on the regional particularities of climate changes manifestations as consequences of global climatic changes. It was stated that within the limits of Republic of Moldova’s territory the pace of warming is much more accelerated than the global one. These consequences, in their turn, had led to the increase in degree of evaporation of surface waters, which had conditioned the doubling of still water’s pollution in the region (Lake Beleu). We consider that the obtained results could contribute to the adequate management of water resources in the new climatic conditions.
2008
Contents 2.1.3.3 Changes in Number of Precipitation Days 2.1.3.4 Interpretation of the Observed Changes in Precipitation 2.1.4 Changes in Cloudiness and Solar Radiation 2.1.4.1 Cloudiness and Sunshine Duration 2.1.4.2 Components of the Radiation Budget 2.1.5 Changes in Extreme Events 2.1.5.1 Definition of Extremes 2.1.
As confirmed recently by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, climate change already exists with wide ranging consequences. Europe is as affected as all other regions of the world. Management responses to climate change include the development of new approaches to system assessment and design and the adoption of non-structural methods through mechanisms like the European Union Water Framework Directive (EU WFD) and the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In this article, the evaluation and contribution of recent European policies towards the protection and preservation of water under climate change is discussed. The impact of WFD and EU CAP application in Lake Koronia is presented and discussed.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2011
The Northern Hemisphere has been warmer since 1980 than at any other time during the last 2000 years. The observed increase in temperature has been generally higher in northern than in southern European seas, and higher in enclosed than in open seas. Although European marine ecosystems are influenced by many other factors, such as nutrient enrichment and overfishing, every region has shown at least some changes that were most likely attributable to recent climate change. It is expected that within open systems there will generally be (further) northward movement of species, leading to a switch from polar to more temperate species in the northern seas such as the Arctic, Barents Sea and the Nordic Seas, and subtropical species moving northward to temperate regions such as the Iberian upwelling margin. For seas that are highly influenced by river runoff, such as the Baltic Sea, an increase in freshwater due to enhanced rainfall will lead to a shift from marine to more brackish and even freshwater species. If semi-enclosed systems such as the Mediterranean and the Black Sea lose their endemic species, the associated niches will probably be filled by species originating from adjacent waters and, possibly, with species transported from one region to another via ballast water and the Suez Canal. A better understanding of potential climate change impacts (scenarios) at both regional and local levels, the development of improved methods to quantify the uncertainty of climate change projections, the construction of usable climate change indicators, and an improvement of the interface between science and policy formulation in terms of risk assessment will be essential to formulate and inform better adaptive strategies to address the inevitable consequences of climate change.
Futuristic Trends in Social Sciences, 2024
Global warming, driven by anthropogenic activities, has become a critical environmental concern with profound implications for aquatic ecosystems. This review examines the multifaceted effects of rising temperatures and associated climate changes on aquatic environments, encompassing oceans, freshwater bodies, and estuarine ecosystems. In oceans, the thermal expansion of seawater and the accelerated melting of polar ice caps contribute to rising sea levels, posing a threat to coastal habitats and biodiversity. The alteration of oceanic currents and temperature gradients affects marine life distribution and migratory patterns, disrupting ecosystems and fisheries. Freshwater environments face escalating challenges due to global warming. Changes in precipitation patterns lead to altered hydrological cycles, affecting river flow and water availability. Elevated temperatures impact aquatic biodiversity, with implications for fish migration, breeding, and survival. Additionally, the increased frequency of extreme weather events exacerbates the risk of floods and droughts, further stressing freshwater ecosystems. Estuarine ecosystems, acting as transition zones between freshwater and marine environments, experience unique challenges. Rising sea levels and changing salinity gradients impact estuarine habitats, affecting the abundance and distribution of estuarine-dependent species. The increased frequency of extreme weather events amplifies the risks of storm surges, causing physical damage to estuarine ecosystems and exacerbating water quality issues. Furthermore, the review explores the interplay of global warming with other stressors such as ocean acidification, pollution, and habitat destruction, creating complex and synergistic effects on aquatic ecosystems. The overarching consequences include biodiversity loss, altered ecosystem services, and compromised resilience in the face of environmental stressors. Keywords: Global Warming, Environmental Stressors, Aquatic Ecosystems, Green House Gases, Terrestrial Habitat.
Freshwater …, 2009
Earth's climate is changing, and by the end of the 21st century in Europe, average temperatures are likely to have risen by at least 2 °C, and more likely 4 °C, with associated effects on patterns of precipitation and the frequency of extreme weather events. Attention among policy-makers is divided about how to minimise the change, how to mitigate its effects, how to maintain the natural resources on which societies depend and how to adapt human societies to the changes. Natural systems are still seen, through a long tradition of conservation management that is largely species-based, as amenable to adaptive management, and biodiversity, mostly perceived as the richness of plant and vertebrate communities, often forms a focus for planning. We argue that prediction of particular species changes will be possible only in a minority of cases but that prediction of trends in general structure and operation of four generic freshwater ecosystems (erosive rivers, depositional floodplain rivers, shallow lakes and deep lakes) in three broad zones of Europe (Mediterranean, Central and Arctic-Boreal) is practicable. Maintenance and rehabilitation of ecological structures and operations will inevitably and incidentally embrace restoration of appropriate levels of species biodiversity. Using expert judgement, based on an extensive literature, we have outlined, primarily for lay policy makers, the pristine features of these systems, their states under current human impacts, how these states are likely to alter with a warming of 2 °C to 4 °C and what might be done to mitigate this. We have avoided technical terms in the interests of communication, and although we have included full referencing as in academic papers, we have eliminated degrees of detail that could confuse broad policy-making.
2018
This publication is a Science for Policy report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's science and knowledge service. It aims to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process. The scientific output expressed does not imply a policy position of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of this publication.
Climate change, eutrophication and shallow lakes: a prognosis Society's solutions to environmental problems never catch up. It takes time to convince Government of the reality of a problem. There is then resistance to dealing with it because of economic considerations. Eutrophication symptoms were described by Giraldus Cambrensis in the twelfth century, algal blooms were recognized in the nineteenth (Griffiths, 1939) and the problem diagnosed clearly in the 1940s (Hasler, 1947). Forty years ago, there was a flurry of experimental activity (Schindler & Fee, 1974) following a flawed suggestion by an industrial chemist (Kuentzel, 1969) that problematic algal growths were caused by carbon dioxide, not phosphorus.That work established incontrovertibly the existence of the problem and the nature of its solution.
Water Resources Management, 2016
The opinions expressed in this paper belong to the authors only and should not be attributed to the institution they are affiliated to.
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