Part C - Consequences of shifting biomes Shifting biomes could have consequences
ID: 285273 • Letter: P
Question
Part C - Consequences of shifting biomes
Shifting biomes could have consequences for the regions in which the shifts occur. Read the two cases below and decide which consequences would apply to one or both cases.
Case 1: The biome of a small agricultural community in the western United States changes from grassland to desert. A species of migrating duck, which can carry bird flu, goes locally extinct.
Case 2: The biome in northern Russia changes from tundra to taiga. Timber harvesting in the region becomes possible. Arctic foxes go locally extinct and are replaced by red foxes that commonly carry rabies.
Sort each consequence based on whether it would apply to Case 1, Case 2, or both
increased risk of wildfires
local economy suffers
carbon storage decreases
agricultural production decreases
carbon storage increases
disease vector range changes
decreased water availability
local economy thrives
species range changes
Case 1
Case 2
Cases 1 and 2
increased risk of wildfires
local economy suffers
carbon storage decreases
agricultural production decreases
carbon storage increases
disease vector range changes
decreased water availability
local economy thrives
species range changes
Case 1
Case 2
Cases 1 and 2
Explanation / Answer
Case 1: The shifting of biome from agricultural community in United States changes from grassland to desert result in consequences like decrease in the carbon storage and local economy suffers because of reduce in the agricultural production. Also since the biome changes to desert it results in decreased water availability. Also since the biome changes, a species of migrating duck which carries flu goes locally extinct which implies that there will be change in the range of species as well as the disease vector changes.
Case 2: Since the biome in the Russia changes from Tundra to Taiga Since now the tinder harvesting becomes possible and due to which carbon storage increases which in turn results in flourishing of local economy. Because of increase in the forests there will be increased risk of wildfires. Since the arctic foxes go locally extinct and are replaced by red foxes which carry rabies which implies that species range changes and the disease vector range changes.
Consequences
case 1: local economy suffers, carbon storage decreases, agricultural production decreases, disease vector range changes, species range changes, decreased water availability
Case 2: increased risk of wildfires, carbon storage increases, disease vector range changes, species range changes, local economy thrives
Case 1 and 2: disease vector range changes, species range changes.