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Resilience of Ecosystems to Climate Change

Received: 14 November 2015     Accepted: 24 November 2015     Published: 14 December 2015
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Abstract

Human-induced climate change is occurring as an unprecedented rate resulting in ecosystem deterioration and biodiversity loss. Climate change exacerbates environmental hazards, ecosystem modification as well as loss of biological organisms. Anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 has warmed the Earth’s surface. The average global temperature has risen more linearly for the last 100 year (1906-2005) by 0.74°C (.56-0.92°C); than the corresponding period (1901-2000) of 0.6°C (0.4-0.8°C). The objective of this review was to examine the potentials of ecosystems in mitigating climate change and in building resilience. A review of relevant literature was employed as possible approach to compile this document. Ethiopia is an agrarian country where agriculture is both the cause and victim to extreme climate variability like elevated temperature and precipitation fluctuation. These have resulted recurrent drought, flooding and reduction in agricultural productivity as a whole. The occurrence and spatial distribution of drought is projected to continue in the upcoming future. The effects of climate variability significantly reduced farmers’ adaptive capacity while exacerbating their vulnerability to further weather events. The current trends of ecosystem degradation could not be controlled only through protection of parks. Instead, it involves a large-scale and integrated approach addressing the whole land and sea-escapes. This large scale and integrated ecosystem management approach conserves biodiversity, builds system resilience as well as to ensures the sustainable production of ecosystem services from which the majorities of the rural poor depend on. Resilient ecosystems have a wide range of biodiversity and ecosystem services, resist and recover from extreme events more quickly and are potential to mitigate and adapt to climate change while sustaining livelihoods. Thus, ecosystem based approach through adaptation and mitigation is instrumental to maintain ecosystem health so as to sustain system resilience in the face of climate change.

Published in American Journal of Environmental Protection (Volume 4, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19
Page(s) 325-333
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Adaptation, Climate Change, Ecosystem, Mitigation, Resilience

References
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  • APA Style

    Mengistu Asmamaw, Argaw Ambellu, Seid Tiku. (2015). Resilience of Ecosystems to Climate Change. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 4(6), 325-333. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19

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    ACS Style

    Mengistu Asmamaw; Argaw Ambellu; Seid Tiku. Resilience of Ecosystems to Climate Change. Am. J. Environ. Prot. 2015, 4(6), 325-333. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19

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    AMA Style

    Mengistu Asmamaw, Argaw Ambellu, Seid Tiku. Resilience of Ecosystems to Climate Change. Am J Environ Prot. 2015;4(6):325-333. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19,
      author = {Mengistu Asmamaw and Argaw Ambellu and Seid Tiku},
      title = {Resilience of Ecosystems to Climate Change},
      journal = {American Journal of Environmental Protection},
      volume = {4},
      number = {6},
      pages = {325-333},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajep.20150406.19},
      abstract = {Human-induced climate change is occurring as an unprecedented rate resulting in ecosystem deterioration and biodiversity loss. Climate change exacerbates environmental hazards, ecosystem modification as well as loss of biological organisms. Anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 has warmed the Earth’s surface. The average global temperature has risen more linearly for the last 100 year (1906-2005) by 0.74°C (.56-0.92°C); than the corresponding period (1901-2000) of 0.6°C (0.4-0.8°C). The objective of this review was to examine the potentials of ecosystems in mitigating climate change and in building resilience. A review of relevant literature was employed as possible approach to compile this document. Ethiopia is an agrarian country where agriculture is both the cause and victim to extreme climate variability like elevated temperature and precipitation fluctuation. These have resulted recurrent drought, flooding and reduction in agricultural productivity as a whole. The occurrence and spatial distribution of drought is projected to continue in the upcoming future. The effects of climate variability significantly reduced farmers’ adaptive capacity while exacerbating their vulnerability to further weather events. The current trends of ecosystem degradation could not be controlled only through protection of parks. Instead, it involves a large-scale and integrated approach addressing the whole land and sea-escapes. This large scale and integrated ecosystem management approach conserves biodiversity, builds system resilience as well as to ensures the sustainable production of ecosystem services from which the majorities of the rural poor depend on. Resilient ecosystems have a wide range of biodiversity and ecosystem services, resist and recover from extreme events more quickly and are potential to mitigate and adapt to climate change while sustaining livelihoods. Thus, ecosystem based approach through adaptation and mitigation is instrumental to maintain ecosystem health so as to sustain system resilience in the face of climate change.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Resilience of Ecosystems to Climate Change
    AU  - Mengistu Asmamaw
    AU  - Argaw Ambellu
    AU  - Seid Tiku
    Y1  - 2015/12/14
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19
    T2  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    JF  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    JO  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
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    EP  - 333
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5699
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20150406.19
    AB  - Human-induced climate change is occurring as an unprecedented rate resulting in ecosystem deterioration and biodiversity loss. Climate change exacerbates environmental hazards, ecosystem modification as well as loss of biological organisms. Anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 has warmed the Earth’s surface. The average global temperature has risen more linearly for the last 100 year (1906-2005) by 0.74°C (.56-0.92°C); than the corresponding period (1901-2000) of 0.6°C (0.4-0.8°C). The objective of this review was to examine the potentials of ecosystems in mitigating climate change and in building resilience. A review of relevant literature was employed as possible approach to compile this document. Ethiopia is an agrarian country where agriculture is both the cause and victim to extreme climate variability like elevated temperature and precipitation fluctuation. These have resulted recurrent drought, flooding and reduction in agricultural productivity as a whole. The occurrence and spatial distribution of drought is projected to continue in the upcoming future. The effects of climate variability significantly reduced farmers’ adaptive capacity while exacerbating their vulnerability to further weather events. The current trends of ecosystem degradation could not be controlled only through protection of parks. Instead, it involves a large-scale and integrated approach addressing the whole land and sea-escapes. This large scale and integrated ecosystem management approach conserves biodiversity, builds system resilience as well as to ensures the sustainable production of ecosystem services from which the majorities of the rural poor depend on. Resilient ecosystems have a wide range of biodiversity and ecosystem services, resist and recover from extreme events more quickly and are potential to mitigate and adapt to climate change while sustaining livelihoods. Thus, ecosystem based approach through adaptation and mitigation is instrumental to maintain ecosystem health so as to sustain system resilience in the face of climate change.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Biology, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia

  • Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

  • Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

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