Global Temperature Rise Since Pre-Industrial Times
Scientific consensus, supported by extensive climate data analysis and reports from organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), shows a clear warming trend globally compared to the period before industrialization (typically baseline 1850-1900).
This warming is a primary indicator of ongoing climate change.
Approximate Temperature Increase
The mean global temperature increase measured since pre-industrial times is approximately:
- 1 to 1.5 $\degree C$
This represents the average rise in surface temperature across the planet over the last century and a half.
Important Questions from Abiotic factors
The table below lists potential environmental conditions in future climates, related to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ($CO_2$) and mean annual temperature (MAT).
The table also lists potential outcomes with respect to whether conditions will favour grasses with C3 or C4 photosynthetic pathways.
Assuming no other changes in environmental conditions, match the options in the two columns.Environmental conditions Outcomes (P) Increased $CO_2$, no change in MAT (i) C3 performs better than C4 (Q) No change in $CO_2$, increased MAT (ii) C4 performs better than C3 (iii) C3 and C4 perform equally - Terrestrial plants conduct gas exchange through stomata. Having only few stomata on the leaf surface is a common adaptation to which one of the following conditions?
- Some air-breathing marine vertebrates such as whales, seals and marine turtles possess adaptations for long, deep dives. Which one or more of the following is/are examples of such adaptations?
- Which one or more of the following is/are greenhouse gas(es)?
- You are a plant ecologist studying a plant in the genus Veronica. You notice that, at open rocky sites, Veronica grows as a creeper spreading low to the ground, whereas in grasslands, the stem stands upright. You collect seeds from multiple populations in each habitat type and grow them under uniform conditions in a greenhouse. You find that all the plants grown in the greenhouse have stems that stand upright. Which one or more of the following explanations best support(s) your observations?
