Climate Change Impact on Ecosystems - Study Guide

DRAW KEY TERMS Google each → Images tab → sketch what you see

Climate change

Long-term shifts in global temperature and precipitation patterns

Global warming

Increase in average global temperature from greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gas

Gas that traps heat in atmosphere like CO2 and methane

Climate Justice Connection

Low-income St. Louis neighborhoods are 5–12°F hotter in summer due to the urban heat island effect

OTHER VOCAB: methane · species range · coral bleaching · extreme weather · drought · heat wave · Year-End Vocabul… · Climate Justice Con…

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION Your initial thinking

Why are coral reefs dying even in protected areas?

I think...even when a reef is protected from fishing and pollution, it's NOT protected from warmer oceans. When water gets too hot, corals get stressed and kick out the colorful algae that live inside them (zooxanthellae). The coral turns white — 'bleaching' — and if the heat doesn't go away, it starves and dies.

WRITE AFTER HOOK FORM Reflect before continuing

I learned that... climate change is a GLOBAL stressor — you can't fence it out the way you can fence out pollution. CO2 from burning fossil fuels traps heat (greenhouse effect), oceans absorb that heat AND CO2, and the result is warmer + more acidic seawater that hurts coral worldwide.

Station 1 — Ocean Warming Investigation

Main idea I observed:

Evidence from my data:

I can apply this by:

CHECK DAY 1 CHECK-IN Before you leave

Q1: Based on today's investigation of climate change impact on ecosystems, explain one key finding using evidence from your data. Connect your answer to this week's focus question: Why are coral reefs dying even in protected areas?

Coral reefs are dying even in protected areas because climate change is a GLOBAL stressor — protection only blocks local threats like fishing or pollution, not warmer oceans or acidification. Ocean temperatures have risen with CO2 levels (now 420+ ppm), and warmer water makes coral expel the algae that feed them — they bleach white and starve. Protected status helps with local pressures, but the only way to save reefs long-term is to cut greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide.

Confidence:

Still building Getting clearer Ready to explain

WRITE ASSESSMENT NOTES

Station 2 — Climate Impact Analysis

Main idea I observed:

Evidence from my data:

I can apply this by:

WRITE ASSESSMENT NOTES

The main idea is... climate change hits LOCAL ecosystems even in places humans don't directly touch. Coral reefs, alpine forests, polar sea ice, and prairie pothole wetlands are all changing because the ATMOSPHERE is changing — and that's everyone's atmosphere.

This connects to what we learned because...

I can apply this by... thinking about climate solutions at TWO scales: global (cut emissions) AND local (plant trees, white roofs, reduce car trips). I can also recognize that 'protecting' an ecosystem only works if we ALSO address the global drivers — fencing isn't enough.

DRAW CONCEPT MODEL Show your understanding visually

Draw a model that shows the main concept. Include labels and arrows to explain relationships.

Earth at center with sun on left. Arrows: sunlight enters; some heat radiates back; thicker layer labeled 'greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, H2O)' traps more heat. Side panel — coral reef cross-section: healthy coral with colorful zooxanthellae INSIDE → arrow 'warmer water' → bleached white coral → arrow → dead coral skeleton. Bottom: CO2 graph rising 280 → 420 ppm 1880–2024. Label: 'Global driver → local ecosystem collapse.'

Labels included

Relationships shown

Key terms used

THINK SCIENTIST CIRCLE DEBRIEF Reflect after your Scientist Circle discussion

AHA! Moment

The one I changed my thinking most about is... you can't fence a reef in from climate change. A 'protected' park still feels every degree of warming because the atmosphere is shared by the whole planet.

Remaining Question

I still wonder... If we stopped emitting CO2 today, how long would it take for ocean temperatures and acidification to actually recover? Can corals adapt fast enough on their own?

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION REVISIT Final written response

Why are coral reefs dying even in protected areas?

Word Bank: climate change · global warming · greenhouse gas · methane · species range · coral bleaching · extreme weather · drought · heat wave · Year-End Vocabulary Review · Climate Justice Connection

CLAIM: Coral reefs are dying in protected areas because climate change is a global stressor — warmer, more acidic oceans reach every reef regardless of local protection.

EVIDENCE: Atmospheric CO2 rose from 280 ppm (1800) to 420+ ppm (2024) from fossil fuels. The Great Barrier Reef lost ~50% of coral cover 1995–2017 even while fishing was banned. Bleaching happens when water stays >30 °C — coral expels its symbiotic algae and starves.

REASONING: Marine protected areas block LOCAL pressures (fishing, runoff) but cannot block ATMOSPHERIC change. CO2 traps heat (greenhouse effect), oceans absorb that heat plus CO2 (acidification), and both stress coral globally. Local protection + global emission cuts are BOTH required.