global warming

• • levels of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are increasing rapidly
  • this increases the temperature of the Earth, which is global warming
• • high temperatures on the Earth causes seawater to expand and ice caps to melt
  • this causes the sea levels to rise, which increases the frequency of flooding in places
• • higher temperatures causes a change in disribution of wild animals and plant species
  • it also changes the amount of rainfall in areas
  • some species are becoming more widely distributed
  • e.g species that need warmer temperatures are spreading further because the condtions they thrive in exist in over a wider area
  • some species are becoming less widely distributed
  • e.g species that need cooler temperatures have smaller ranges of areas they can live in
• • higher temperatures cause changes in migration patterns
  • birds migrate further north, because more northern areas are getting warmer
• • high temperatures can reduce the biodiversity in areas
  • this is because if some species are unable to survive a change in climate, they will become extinct