North America is composed of the United States (USA) and Canada, both diverse and large economies with a total population of about 350 million. Most of this populace lives in urban centers. This is a region of highly developed nations with large economies and high standards of living. The region also boasts diversity in ecology and human populace, though most of the population is immigrant. An ecosystem is a symbiotic relationship of plants, microorganisms, and animals that live in a common place, and includes the supporting environmental conditions. Industrial developments and production activities have led changing ecological conditions. These changes are orchestrated by the destruction of the natural environment and pollution.
Climate is a key environmental factor in maintaining ecosystems. Climate change affects the ecosystem in various ways. Changing temperatures force species to shift to other elevations or latitudes in search of a conducive environment for their survival. A rise in sea level causes intrusion of saltwater into freshwater systems. This may cause important species to die or relocate hence affecting the existing food chain.
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A change in climate not only affects species and ecosystems but also crosses with various human activities such as development. Separate human stressors cause negligible impacts. The cumulative effects of these stressors, however, may cause rapid ecological changes. A change in climate may, for instance, increase the stress on vulnerable coastal regions from land developments. Logging has created regions that are fragile to erosion in the event that a change in climatic conditions leads to hail storms. There has been a rapid development in the North American region which has brought about a change not only in the region but in the world.
The standard of living is very high in North America, with many developments in infrastructure and industry. The world has however borne the cost of this development with changing ecological conditions and global warming. Human stressors have orchestrated climate change and caused extinction risks and food web disruptions in the world ecosystems. Shifting in ecological conditions has predisposed the world to parasites, disease, and pathogens. Ecosystems also serve as buffers against natural extremities. These have been destroyed making the region and the world prone to extreme events such as floods and wildfires. There have been temporary droughts in the prairie region of the US. This region is a key threshold since it is the breeding ground for many species of waterfowl. The temporary droughts have affected this breeding and hence the ecosystem.
