BIOL 111 Lecture Notes - Fossil Fuel, Nitrogen Fixation, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

• School: McGill University
• Department: Biology (Sci)
• Course: BIOL 111
• Professor: Irene Gregory- Eaves

Document Summary

Rates of change in ecosystems has increased dramatically since industrial revolution. Anthropocene: current period in earth"s history characterized by the large changes human have had on ecosystem on a the global scale. Global change: planetary scale changes in biophysical and socio-economical processed altering structure and function of earth. Ecosystem services: provide services (food, water, flood control, coil stabilization, climate regulation, carbon fixation, reducing famine and disease and poverty, financial benefits, w/o a healthy ecosystem economy can"t flourish. Started by un in 2001 to track our ecosystem changes, reviewed by experts and prepared globally, assessing globally and regionally. Substantial and irreversible ecosystem losses over 50 years (ex. Land to crop land in 30 years than in the past 150 years, 20% of coral reefs lost and. 20% degraded in past several decades, 35% mangroves lost, water in reservoirs x4 since 1960, withdrawals from rivers and lakes x2 since 1960)