Natural ecosystems in the United States are under greater stress from climate change than at any previous time in human history, according to a new assessment by academic institutions public and private agencies. The report says these stressed ecosystems are also stressing wild plant and animal species and threatening the nation’s biodiversity.
U.S. Ecosystems Threatened by Climate Change
1
Adult female walruses on ice floe with young in waters of the Eastern Chukchi Sea, Alaska, face the threat of melting sea ice. (S.A. Sonsthagen/USGS)
2
Forest die-off in the America Southwest is projected to occur more frequently due to the impact of a warmer world. (Craig D.Allen/USGS)
3
The Meltwater stonefly is the first insect species being considered for listing due to climate change. (Joe Giersch/USGS)
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Scientists predict that marshes in the Plum Island Estuary in Massachusetts will submerge under a conservative sea-level rise scenario. (Matthew Kirwan/USGS)
