Ecosystem stress due to climate change: actual impacts and future concerns

7th Fortaleza Austral Spring School

Climate change is imposing significant stress on ecosystems worldwide, resulting in observable shifts in biodiversity, species behavior, and ecosystem services. Current impacts include habitat loss, altered species distributions, and increased vulnerability to invasive species. Particularly vulnerable are coral reefs, forests, and polar ecosystems, which are facing rising temperatures, ocean acidification, and more frequent extreme weather events.

Looking to the future, climate-induced stresses are expected to intensify, potentially leading to greater species extinctions, disruptions in food webs, and altered ecosystem functions. As global temperatures continue to rise and weather patterns become more unpredictable, ecosystem resilience may decline, posing threats to biodiversity, agriculture, and human livelihoods.

Urgent action is necessary to mitigate these impacts and strengthen adaptive measures for both ecosystems and human communities that depend on them.
This discussion will explore the effects of climate change on ecosystems, spanning from past events (through paleoclimatology) to the present (including changes in ocean currents and coastal erosion). We will focus on the consequences for coastal and fluvial ecosystems, emphasizing the need for rapid management responses across diverse habitats.

Ten experts will provide their perspectives on the drivers and effects of climate change. Additionally, a round table discussion will focus on the impact of climate change on Brazilian ecosystems and its implications for human population survival.

Agenda

9:45-13:15 BR
Moderator Sergio Rossi

  • Antonio Turiel (ICM-CSIC): The Great Climate Acceleration: trends, impacts and risks in the global ocean
  • Jorge Guillén (ICM-CSIC): Coastal evolution and climate change: where are we going?
  • Cristina Linares (UB): Thrive or collapse: How benthic ecosystems cope with marine heatwaves?

14:30-17:30 BR
Moderator Helena Mathews Cascon

  • Joana Gaspar de Freitas (Universidade de Nova Lisboa) Thinking Climate and Coastal Zones through the Humanities
  • Abdel Sifeddine (IRD -FR) Hydro-climate reconstruction during the past 1000 years in Latino America inferred by multi-proxies
  • Martina Mascioni (UNP, Argentina) Phytoplankton in a changing climate: effects of meltwater in coastal areas of the western Antarctic Peninsula.

Organizing Institutions