Even small changes within an ecosystem can have detrimental effects. A mutualistic relationship between species in an ecosystem allows for the ecosystem to thrive, but the lack of this relationship could lead to the collapse of the entire system. New research reveals that interactions between relatively small organisms are crucial to mutualistic relationships in an ecosystem dominated by much larger organisms, including trees and elephants. Source 1a.
Even in best-case scenario for climate change, extreme weather events likely to continue increasing, experts say. The landmark Paris Agreement, signed by nearly every nation on Earth except the U.S., aims to keep the world's temperature from rising to dangerous, climate-shifting levels of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, even a 1-degree rise could increase the likelihood of extreme weather -including floods, droughts, and heat waves - in the U.S. And around the world, a new study said. Ref. USAToday.
Sea-level legacy: 20 cm more rise by 2300 for each 5-year delay in peaking emissions. Peaking global carbon dioxide emissions as soon as possible is crucial for limiting the risks of sea-level rise, even if global warming is limited to well below 2 degrees C. A new study analyzes for the first time the sea-level legacy until 2300 within the constraints of the Paris Agreement. Source 6z.