Ecosystems

Human well-being is dependent on natural and managed ecosystems, which provide crucial functions and resources for nearly everything we eat, make, and do. Clean water and air, soils and nutrients for food production, timber for construction, and other supplies and services we depend on all come from nature. But many ecosystems are increasingly facing climate risks and impacts that alter ecological processes and functions and affect species across all levels of the food web.

    Key points:

  • Climate Change Is Driving Rapid Ecosystem Transformations
  • Species Changes and Biodiversity Loss Are Accelerating
  • Impacts to Ecosystem Services Create Risks and Opportunities

View the Ecosystems chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment »

 


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Banner Image Credit

Wildflowers of Bremner, Alaska. By Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service, Alaska Region. CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, via Flickr.

Last modified
17 November 2023 - 12:24pm