http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130606110513.htm
Retired Austrian researcher Dr. Martin Dokulil, once a professor at the Institute of Limnology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria recently predicted changes in water temperatures in large Austrian lakes by 2050.
The lakes of Austria vary in size, altitude, geographical location and many other factors. All of these factors make the ecosystems in certain lakes unique from others. The ecosystems of these lakes are very delicate in the sense that the organisms within them are very sensitive to change. There has been evidence to support that the climate is directly linked with surface temperature. Due to climate change, the surface temperatures of these lakes will also change. It can be argued that these changes may even have economic consequences with relation to tourism.
Dokulil used the Austrian Hydrological Yearbooks to make predictions about the temperatures and surface temperatures of lakes in Austria by 2050. He looked at recorded surface temperatures and air temperatures of 9 different lakes in and bordering Austria situated in different climatic zones. The data used stretched back to the mid 1960's.
His results showed that surface temperatures of water in Austrian lakes could possibly rise by 3 degrees Celsius. This may not seem like a lot to us, however Dokilil suggests that this could have many effects on the water quality and organisms within the lakes. He states that warmer water temperatures would result in changes with regard to nutrient loads which would encourage algal growth, which in turn would affect water quality. Also, some aquatic species cannot perform certain biological function in warmer waters which would also have an affect on the ecosystems. He even suggests that the carbon cycling of the lakes would be much higher in the summers which could also result in further changes in climate.
I chose this article because of our brief overview of the topic of pollution. I found it interesting that climate change can have such a large impact on not only land-based ecosystems, but also aquatic ones. These studies and predictions should be an indicator that things need to change.
Retired Austrian researcher Dr. Martin Dokulil, once a professor at the Institute of Limnology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria recently predicted changes in water temperatures in large Austrian lakes by 2050.
The lakes of Austria vary in size, altitude, geographical location and many other factors. All of these factors make the ecosystems in certain lakes unique from others. The ecosystems of these lakes are very delicate in the sense that the organisms within them are very sensitive to change. There has been evidence to support that the climate is directly linked with surface temperature. Due to climate change, the surface temperatures of these lakes will also change. It can be argued that these changes may even have economic consequences with relation to tourism.
Dokulil used the Austrian Hydrological Yearbooks to make predictions about the temperatures and surface temperatures of lakes in Austria by 2050. He looked at recorded surface temperatures and air temperatures of 9 different lakes in and bordering Austria situated in different climatic zones. The data used stretched back to the mid 1960's.
His results showed that surface temperatures of water in Austrian lakes could possibly rise by 3 degrees Celsius. This may not seem like a lot to us, however Dokilil suggests that this could have many effects on the water quality and organisms within the lakes. He states that warmer water temperatures would result in changes with regard to nutrient loads which would encourage algal growth, which in turn would affect water quality. Also, some aquatic species cannot perform certain biological function in warmer waters which would also have an affect on the ecosystems. He even suggests that the carbon cycling of the lakes would be much higher in the summers which could also result in further changes in climate.
I chose this article because of our brief overview of the topic of pollution. I found it interesting that climate change can have such a large impact on not only land-based ecosystems, but also aquatic ones. These studies and predictions should be an indicator that things need to change.
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