Climate change has devastating effects on biodiversity, forests, human beings and, in general, on natural resources. It can affect in a direct way depleting or deteriorating resources or indirectly through the food chain.
In this case, we are going to talk about the effect of climate change on the food chain. How does climate change affect the food chain and us?
Study on the food chain
Research has been conducted at the University of Adelaide that has found that climate change decreases the efficiency of the food chain because animals decrease their ability to use resources. Research has emphasized that increased CO2 is responsible for acidification, and it is this increase that will increase production in various parts of the chain, something that is also related to ocean acidification in other regions.
Apart from this discovery, it has also determined that the increase in the temperature of the water will cancel the production in other parts of the food chain. This is due to the stress suffered by marine fauna. That is why little by little problems will occur in the food chain that will cause its destruction. In this sense, it is essential to consider the effects of climate change on the food chain globally
This disruption in the food chain could have serious consequences for marine ecosystems, as the sea will provide fewer fish for both human consumption and marine animals at the top of the food chain in the future. If you'd like to delve deeper into this topic, you can review the impact of climate change and past extinctions that have affected biodiversity.
Those most affected by climate change
To see the effect of climate change on the food chain, the research recreated ideal food chains, starting from plants that need light and nutrients to grow, small invertebrates and some predatory fish. In the simulation, this food chain was exposed to levels of acidification and warming similar to those expected at the end of the century. The results were that a high concentration of carbon dioxide promoted the growth of the plants. The more plants, the more small invertebrates and the more invertebrates, the fish can grow faster.
However, the constant temperature rise of the water causes fish are less efficient eaters So they can't take advantage of the extra energy generated by the plants. This is why the fish are hungrier, and as the temperature rises, they begin to decimate their prey. In relation to this topic, it is important to evaluate how extreme environmental conditions may be related to the ice Age and how that can influence marine ecosystems.
