Tropical Forest Diversity Increased During Ancient Global Warming Event

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101111141801.htm

Conservative estimates are suggesting that tropical rainforest areas are suspected to increase 3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. By making the moistest places on earth warmer is global warming destroying the rainforest; yes or no? A staff scientist named Carlos Jaramillo at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute says that 60 million years ago rainforest were able to grow with higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and 3-5 degrees higher temperatures. The question is if there very hot and wet temperatures will effect the species in a negative or positive way. By looking at the pollen trapped in rock cores in Colombia as well as Venezuela showed that this had happened before when the heat rose and carbon dioxide levels doubled. The forest diversity actually increased quickly because of this with no plant species evolving for the first time. The reason why this is so concerning is because while the diversity increases, a severs drought is likely to take place. Evidence shows that the moisture levels did not drop during the previous warming event and that tropical rainforest benefited from this event. Will we benefit from the global warming as well? This article is from the ScienceDaily Website written November 11, 2010. Materials were provided by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

This article really had no bias opinions at all. The overall opinion was just stating the facts there were observed from researching about past warming periods on earth. However, since the information does come from the Smithsonian we already know that it cannot be bias, it must be as factual as possible. The article stays positive while being unsure about the outcomes of our global warming. Of course the researchers are not for a drought, however they seem convinced that this warming might not be as bad as we think it will be. It is neither pro or con environmentalist. I think they are hoping that we will bring tropical rainforest species diversity and add to the world.

I. Earth Systems and Resources

B. The atmosphere (weather and climate)

II. The living world

C. Ecosystem diversity (biodiversity, evolution)

D. Natural ecosystem change (climate shifts)

VII. Global change

B. Global warming (greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect; impacts and consequences of global warming)

-Written by Erin MacInerney