Literature Review on the consequences of climate change on biodiversity in Australia

This literature review explores the consequences of climate change on biodiversity in Australia, focusing on the impacts and the gaps in current research. It discusses the importance of biodiversity, the causes of climate change, and the effects on the Australian environment, particularly the Great Barrier Reef. The review concludes with the need for collaborative efforts to address climate change and protect biodiversity.

Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review
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Author Note

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Topic – Literature Review on the consequences of climate change on biodiversity in
Australia
Introduction
Biodiversity is visible in the species and between the ecosystems. Although it is hard to
measure biodiversity on a global scale, in the recent years, the biodiversity of the planet is
declining as found from the scientific consensus (Anwar et al., 2015. It is frightening news
because the more species live in a particular area, the healthier the ecosystem is and the better the
human beings are. The biodiversity affects the medicine, food and the environment in one way
or the other. The ecosystems require a huge assortment of the plants and the animal life from the
soil microbes to the top level predators such as wolves and the bears.
The removal of one more species will negatively affect the ecosystem. On the other hand
climate change is the shift or the abnormal change in the patterns of the climate. Since global
warming is rising quickly, the climate patterns in various regions are fluctuating (González-
Orozco et al., 2016). Consequently, the biodiversity is also forced to fluctuate with the regional
climate which is harmful for many species. In Australia, climate change is clearly visible and
one can see the series of large tracts of bleached coral resulting from the extremely warn
summers on the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is an Australian symbol of
biodiversity. The purpose of this literature review is to focus on the aspects of climate change
responsible for the disruptions in the Australian biodiversity. It will explore and assess how
human beings are responsible for such threatening scenario and lastly identify the gaps in the
current research.
Biodiversity and its importance

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It is the foundation of the ecosystem to which the well-being of the human is intimately
linked. On the earth, no other feature is so dynamic, complex and varied than the levels of living
organisms which occupies the surface and the seas. The biodiversity is the most extraordinary
feature of the Earth. In every layers of biosphere, there are innumerable animals, plants and
microbes which unite the geosphere and hydrosphere along with the atmosphere in a single
environmental system (Huang et al., 2016). Biodiversity has also been defined as the variability
among the living organisms from all the sources involving the terrestrial, inter alia, aquatic and
marine ecosystems. Sometimes, biodiversity involves all types of ecosystems either managed or
unmanaged. It is often presumed to be a relevant feature of the unmanaged ecosystem only. The
nature perspectives, the wild-lands and the national parks can be taken as examples. For the
human survival, biodiversity is highly important and it has a serious role to play (Morán et al.,
2018). Taken for example, a large of plants signifies a greater amount of crops. On the other
hand, the greater species diversity secures the natural sustainability of all types of life forms.
Why the climate is changing
As per the research on this topic for an extended period, it has been found that there are
various anthropological and natural factors that contribute to the climate change. It has always
happened in the earth evident from the geological records. However, the rates are increasing day
by day and the magnitude of the climate change is of huge concern worldwide (Newbold et al.,
2015). The rates of polluting substances are increasing on the earth which is causing excessive
heat on the earth’s surface. The human activities are aggravating the emission of greenhouse
gases since the industrial revolution. It is leading to more heat retention and the heightening the
surface temperature up o greater extent. Moreover, deforestation is considered to be a major
cause of global warming and climate change.

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Effects of climate change on biodiversity
The healthy ecosystems and the rich biodiversity are necessary which act as fundamental
part of the planet and the human lives. The climate changes are affecting the habitats of various
species and making them migrate to those areas where they find favorable conditions. The
ecosystem can be significantly affected by even a minor change in the average temperature
(González-Orozco et al., 2016). The climate change is closely related with increased
temperature on earth which is causing increase of the sea levels. It is highly important to assess
the effects of climate change on the marine mammals and the coastal creatures.
Climate Change in Australia
The Bureau of Meteorology shows that in Australia, the global warming is increasing
every day. The year 2013 was the warmest year as per the records and the sea temperatures are
usually high. Since the year 1910, the temperature of the Australian climate has warmed by 0.9
degree Celsius and the rate has been accelerated since the year 1950 (Newbold et al., 2015).
The long term observations on the climate of Australia has suggest that the continent is
absorbing the temperature rapidly there are more hot days and fewer cool nights. The extremity
of the weather conditions have lead to the fire “bush-fires” in the large areas of Australia since
the later parts of the 1970s (Nogué et al., 2017). The rainfall in Australia is variable and in the
recent years there are trends of spring and summer monsoonal rainfall across the northern part of
Australia. It is higher than usual rainfalls in the central regions. In the northern part of Australia,
higher rates of sea level increase are evident.
Effects of climate change on the Australian environment

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The Australian continent has been holding the legacy of koalas, kangaroo and the
timeless mystery of vegemite. However, the climate scientists suggest that the vulnerable nature
of Australia to climate change is putting the wonders at risk. It has been found that Australia
exports excessive amount of coals than any other nation on the earth. In simple words, Australia
is hot and dry already and the temperature is expected to grow more in future
(Climaterealityproject.org, 2019). It is forecasted that the country will grow hotter by 5 degree
Celsius by the year 2090 (Oliver et al., 2015). In 2018, on the month of January, the Sydney
temperatures soared to over 47 degree Celsius which is considered to be the hottest day the
country has experienced in the past 80 years (Schuur et al., 2015). The heat-waves are lasting
long leading to heat exhaustion and even stroke. In the middle of the winter too, Australian
people are suffering from crippling draught.
Distortion of biodiversity in the Ocean/The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is an asset for the people of earth because it is the origin and
source of many living creatures. It is even larger than the Great Wall of China and surprisingly
visible from the space. The reef is being killed by the carbon emissions from the human
activities. The oceans are found to be absorbing almost 25 % of the carbon dioxide every year
produced by the human beings (Tonmoy et al., 2018). The chemistry on the sea surface is being
changed dramatically. Notably, carbonic acid is formed when the oceans absorb the carbon
dioxide from the environment. As a consequence, the oceans are becoming more acidic and the
Ph balance is being disturbed too. The ocean surface of Australia has increased warmth of 1
degree Celsius (Wernberg et al., 2016).

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The Great Barrier Reef is under huge pressure and its conditions have become extremely
hard by many aspects. The colorful algae are expelled on which the coral reefs survive by the
acidic nature of the sea water. The coral is losing its luster, turning white that is better known as
“coral bleaching”. The entire marine ecosystem can be destroyed if the coral do not recover and
keep dying in the long run. Reports suggest that since the year 2016, almost 30% of the corals
have died on the reefs (Winemiller et al., 2016). It is the result of the mass bleaching event in the
same year. The Australia and the marine life solely depend on the Great Barrier Reef as it
supports the employment and fisheries. It also brings the tourists from every part of the globe
and prospers the economy of the country.
Conclusion and Literature Gap
Hence, after an extensive review of the literature on biodiversity and climate change, it can
be discerned that the climate is changing due to the human activities, deforestation, excessive
exploitation of the natural resources and many others. Consequently the biodiversity of the earth
is being disturbed by many ways. Many species are being extinct forever and the day is not far
when the survival of the human race will be next to impossible on earth. Since in Australia, the
temperature is growing rapidly, it is affecting the marine ecosystem and the Great Barrier Reef.
The government and the people of Australia must realize this fact and collaborate in saving the
continent with their efforts.
Although there are researches on biodiversity in Australia, there are many research gaps
too. There is abundant information on biodiversity, climate change, the negative effects; the
relation of Australian climate change and biodiversity, there is little information on how it can be
reduced and what the policies are the government must impose to save the biosphere. The

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research on the proposed topic will help people understand the current condition and having
threatened by it collaborate in the ‘green revolution’ that is most essential to save the earth.

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References
Anwar, M. R., Li Liu, D., Farquharson, R., Macadam, I., Abadi, A., Finlayson, J., ... & Ramilan,
T. (2015). Climate change impacts on phenology and yields of five broadacre
crops at four climatologically distinct locations in Australia. Agricultural
Systems, 132, 133-144.
Climaterealityproject.org. (2019). How Is Climate Change Affecting Australia?. Retrieved from
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-climate-change-affecting-
australia
González-Orozco, C. E., Pollock, L. J., Thornhill, A. H., Mishler, B. D., Knerr, N., Laffan, S.
W., ... & Kujala, H. (2016). Phylogenetic approaches reveal biodiversity
threats under climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6(12), 1110.
Huang, J., Yu, H., Guan, X., Wang, G., & Guo, R. (2016). Accelerated dryland expansion under
climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6(2), 166.
Morán, F., Marco-Noales, E., Escrich, A., Barbé, S., & López, M. M. (2018). Biodiversity and
Biogeography of Three Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars which Affect Kiwi
Fruit Cultivation. Biodiversity Online Journal, 1(1), 1-3.
Newbold, T., Hudson, L. N., Hill, S. L., Contu, S., Lysenko, I., Senior, R. A., ... & Day, J.
(2015). Global effects of land use on local terrestrial
biodiversity. Nature, 520(7545), 45.

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Nogué, S., de Nascimento, L., Froyd, C. A., Wilmshurst, J. M., de Boer, E. J., Coffey, E. E., ... &
Willis, K. J. (2017). Island biodiversity conservation needs
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Oliver, T. H., Heard, M. S., Isaac, N. J., Roy, D. B., Procter, D., Eigenbrod, F., ... & Proença, V.
(2015). Biodiversity and resilience of ecosystem functions. Trends in ecology
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Pacifici, M., Foden, W. B., Visconti, P., Watson, J. E., Butchart, S. H., Kovacs, K. M., ... &
Corlett, R. T. (2015). Assessing species vulnerability to climate
change. Nature climate change, 5(3), 215.
Schuur, E. A., McGuire, A. D., Schädel, C., Grosse, G., Harden, J. W., Hayes, D. J., ... & Natali,
S. M. (2015). Climate change and the permafrost carbon
feedback. Nature, 520(7546), 171.
Tonmoy, F. N., Wainwright, D., Verdon-Kidd, D. C., & Rissik, D. (2018). An investigation of
coastal climate change risk assessment practice in Australia. Environmental
Science & Policy, 80, 9-20.
Wernberg, T., Bennett, S., Babcock, R. C., De Bettignies, T., Cure, K., Depczynski, M., ... &
Harvey, E. S. (2016). Climate-driven regime shift of a temperate marine
ecosystem. Science, 353(6295), 169-172.
Winemiller, K. O., McIntyre, P. B., Castello, L., Fluet-Chouinard, E., Giarrizzo, T., Nam, S., ...
& Stiassny, M. L. J. (2016). Balancing hydropower and biodiversity in the
Amazon, Congo, and Mekong. Science, 351(6269), 128-129.