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Climate change impact on the environment

Climate change is one of the most threatening factors for biodiversity, forests and water resources.

There is clear evidence that biodiversity is already responding to climate change, which has a direct and indirect impact on species and ecosystems. Direct impacts include changes in plant appearance, abundance and distribution of plant and animal species, habitat structure and the nature of ecosystem processes. Changes in land use and other natural resources, such as fragmentation and habitat loss, overexploitation, air, water and soil pollution and the spread of invasive species, are defined as indirect impacts on biodiversity. They can be more harmful than direct impacts due to their scale, scope and speed, further reducing the ecosystems’ resilience to climate change and capacity to perform key functions – climate regulation, food security, clean air and water, control on flooding or erosion.

Climate change is putting additional pressure on water resources. For example:

  • Seasonally across Europe, river runoff has decreased in summer and increased in winter.
  • The annual outflow of many rivers, especially in Southern Europe, has decreased significantly in recent decades.
  • Predicted climate change in the 21st century may further increase the trend of accelerating the hydrological cycle.

Changes in temperatures and precipitation also cause changes in the composition of forests. Some forest ecosystems are very likely to become extinct, and with them a number of tree species. Many plants and animals that are unable to adapt quickly to the changing environment are threatened with extinction.

Studies show that by 2100, invasive species may exceed 35% of all plant species in the Nordic countries, and a quarter of native plant species in the Balkans and the Iberian Peninsula are threatened with extinction.

Learn more about the impact of climate change on:

Related profession


Profession environmentalist

Environmentalist

 

Educational scenario

Biodiversity, ecosystems and climate change

“Yet, despite our many advances, our environment is still threatened by a range of problems, including global climate change, energy dependence on unsustainable fossil fuels, and loss of biodiversity.”

Dan Lipinski, Teacher, Author, and Former American Congressman

Learn


Biodiversity is at the heart of human cultural, economic and social well-being. However, man-made changes in ecosystems and the extinction of plant and animal species have been faster in the last half century than at any time in human history.

Environmental change caused by climate change is disrupting natural habitats and is having a strong impact on plant and animal species. There are indications that rising temperatures, along with changing rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and ocean acidification, are putting pressure on biodiversity, which is already threatened by other human activities such as urbanization, pollution, deforestation and commercial fishing.


Read


Read the parable "A Walk on the Beach" to your students.

Discuss: How each of us could contribute to the protection of plants and animals around our home, in our area, in our homeland (suggest ideas and, if possible, discuss them with other members of your family).

A Walk on the Beach


My favorite places


Divide the class into small groups and have each group discuss:

  • What are the favorite places to visit: beaches, mountains, meadows or forests?
  • Are some of these places already affected by climate change, and if so, how?
  • What happens to the plants and animals that live there?

Ask each group to present the results of the group discussion to the class.

If it is not far from the school, visit one of the places where there is information that the effects of climate change have already being observed. Take photos or drawings, describe in more details what you have seen and organize an exhibition in a prominent place in the school building or in another public place where more people from the local population will become familiar with the results of your research.


Endangered animals

The survival of many animals in different countries and continents is threatened by rapid climate change. Use the world map, to familiarize yourself with some of the animal species already affected. Discuss some of the examples shown in the videos by answering the questions:

  • Which of these animals is your favorite and why?
  • Where does it live?
  • How has climate change threatened it?
  • What can be done to help the endangered animal?

Draw a picture of the animal you have chosen and explain what you have learned about it.

Environmentalists play a major role in civil society. Their efforts are making a particularly important contribution to addressing some of the most pressing global challenges, from biodiversity loss to climate change. Many conservationists work tirelessly to force the elected officials to create and implement policies and programs to protect the world around us.

Discuss with students the information provided in Worksheet Profession Environmentalist. How would you comment on the phrase «Think globally, act locally»

Profession Environmentalist


Watch

Show the class the video “How does climate change affect animals?". Discuss the following questions:

  • How do changes in vegetation caused by climate change affect animals? Discuss why the higher temperature in the areas koalas live makes it difficult to feed themselves.
  • What forces animals to move towards the poles or climb higher in the mountains?
  • How does the invasion of certain pests affect forests?
  • What are the pessimistic predictions about the fate of plant and animal species, if climate change continues?

Assign students to independently watch the YouTube video “Can wildlife adapt to climate change?". Ask them to briefly describe their thoughts and feelings about the content of the video. Discuss in class what you have seen and learned.

Research

As a continuation of the activities related to the biodiversity videos, explore whether there are similar trends in your area for:

  • permanent changes in ecosystems;
  • displacement of the habitats in which native species usually live;
  • invasion of pests atypical for the area, which are a scourge for the local species.

Briefly describe the results of your research, present them to the class, and look for some means to inform the local public about the changes in biodiversity due to climate change.

Do research on the species in your home region that are known to be vulnerable to climate change. Talk to experts for more information. Ask, if any measures are taken to protect these species. Create information materials, make publications and find out if you or the public can help to preserve them by spreading information, collecting donations or volunteering.

Adaptation of local animals


Different animals have evolved over many years, adapting to the environment in which they live.

Divide the class into small groups and let each group think for ten minutes and choose an animal from the local fauna, trying to imagine how that animal would adapt to changing conditions, if:

  • a permanent increase in the average annual temperature is registered and unusual recurrent droughts occur or
  • strong extreme weather events such as strong storms, floods or forest fires become more frequent.

Ask each group to choose a representative for sharing the brainstorming results with the class. Have the students draw pictures representing the adaptation of their animals to the changing environment.


Marsh pansy conservation


Organize the role-play as a press conference where the need to protect a critically endangered species - the marsh pansy1 - will be presented. Identify four specialists - a botanist, a bio-geographer, an environmentalist and a biological defense expert. Familiarize them with the contents of Worksheet. The rest of the students can take on the roles of representatives of environmental organizations, citizens and the media. The role of presenter of the press conference can be given to a student or it can be taken by the teacher. Organize the study space in an appropriate way, make signs or badges with names and positions.

Begin with the presentation of information about the marsh pansy by the experts, then allow for discussion and input from the rest of the participants.

After the role play is over, debrief the activity. It is good for the participants to share their views and whether they are satisfied with the result.

1 - The species data are taken from the Red Book of Bulgaria. Another regionally important and endangered species can be chosen for the role play.


A drying water pool


Discuss the dilemma with the class.

Drying Water Pool


Plants, sun and water


In six identical small pots (or buckets) put soil and plant 5-6 seeds of beans, lentils or corn at the same depth. Place half of the pots in a brighter and warmer place, and the other half in a darker and cooler place. Place numbers and labels on the pots with a description of their cultivation mode. Water pot 1 every day with 50 ml of water, pot 2 twice a week with 50 ml of water, and pot 3 only once a week with 50 ml of water. Designate responsible persons who will take care of the plants. Record germination dates and plant development over a period of 10-14 days. Complete data tables, report differences, and draw conclusions.


Test

Score: | 10
Question: | 10

Biodiversity and Climate Game


Accelerating climate change poses challenges to biodiversity. Animals and plants are adapted to specific temperature ranges and rainfall patterns. A change in these conditions predetermines a change of habitats. Too often certain species are unable to migrate fast enough and die.

Play the game with the students. Encourage students to think of and present other similar examples related to changes in the habitats of native plants and animals.

Biodiversity and Climate


Actions that support biodiversity conservation



With the loss of biodiversity, humanity is not only losing nature, but also some of its best defenses against climate change.

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About the portal

The informational and educational portal Klimadapt is intended for the dissemination of information, training of students, teachers and the general public, as well as for the organization of civil projects and campaigns dedicated to overcoming and adapting to climate change. Its creation took place within the project Changing with Climate, which is implemented by 10 partner organizations with the support of the Environmental Protection and Climate Change Program through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area /2014-2021/.

The Klimadapt portal includes a variety of informational and didactic materials (texts, videos, lesson plans, dilemmas, model stories and fairy tales, worksheets, experiments, tests, games, instructions on how to organize actions, etc.) that provide opportunities for implementation of a learning process and/or organising a variety of activities related to mitigation or adaptation to the occuring climate changes.

Portal Development

Information texts and structure, concept of the portal: Kliment Mindjov

Educational scenarios: Kliment Mindjov, Tatiana Miteva

Portal design and PDF files: Sylvia Magyar

Illustrations and graphics: Laszlo Falvay

Video adaptation: Ivan Kozhuharov

Translation from/into English: Irina Dobriyanova, Kliment Mindjov

Editing in Bulgarian: Galina Spassova

Programming: Daniel Mirea

Management of the "Changing with Climate" project: Mariana Bancheva, Violeta Nikolova

The portal uses photos from the iStock and Unsplash platforms, as well as “pro bono” provided materials from the photo and video library of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC).

Acknowledgements

The development of the Klimadapt informational and educational portal was made possible through the goodwill and cooperation of a wide range of specialists and organisations.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Dennis Meadows and his collaborators for the copyright for the Bulgarian language version of "The Climate Change Playbook", which includes 22 interactive games.

Nikolay Petkov researched and prepared information related to good Bulgarian and foreign practices in dealing with climate change. We thank him.

In the virtual library of the portal, informational and educational materials of various nature of various organizations, created years ago, but facing increasingly difficulty to find on the Internet, are included. In this regard, our thanks go to:

The informative and educational texts in the portal reflect facts and data from various international and Bulgarian sources: European Commission, European Environment Agency, World Health Organization, United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); United States Environmental Protection Agency, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), World Bank, World Resources Institute,  Ministry of Environment and Water of the Republic of Bulgaria, Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, publications in BBC, The Guardian and other periodicals. The creators of the portal are responsible for the content and the way the information is presented and visualized.

Finally, but not least, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to our sponsors from the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) and the program operator at the Ministry of Environment and Water of the Republic of Bulgaria. Thank you!

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