Climate Change Research ›› 2014, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (3): 179-184.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-1719.2014.03.004

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Interpretation of IPCC Fifth Assessment Report on Impacts of Climate Change on Terrestrial Ecosystems and Coastal Areas

Yu Li, Xu Hongmei, Yin Hong, Dong Siyan   

  1. National Climate Center, China Meteorology Administration, Beijing 100081, China
  • Received:2014-02-17 Revised:2014-04-16 Online:2014-05-30 Published:2014-05-30
  • Contact: Li YU E-mail:yuli@cma.gov.cn

Abstract: Working Group II contribution to IPCC Fifth Assessment Report was issued recently, it concluded that many biota and ecosystems have been affected significantly due to climate change, and these changes will be continued in the future. Climate change and human activities are projected to be powerful stressors on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in the 21st century, the extinction risk of many species will increase, and some ecosystems will change irreversibly. The inherent capacity of ecosystems will be insufficient to cope with projected climate change in the future, adaptation strategies and actions can increase the adaptive capacity of species and ecosystems to climate change. Coastal systems and low-lying areas are affected strongly by climate change and human activities, the consequences of impact vary from place to place. The global mean sea level rise is projected to be 0.28 -0.98 m by 2100, relative sea level rise is different with regional variations. Hundreds of millions of people will be affected by coastal flooding by 2100. The relative costs of adaptation vary strongly between and within regions and countries for the 21st century. The benefits of protecting against increased coastal flooding and land loss are larger than the social and economic costs of inaction at the global scale. The adaptive capacity of coastal areas has progressed much more significantly in developed countries than in developing countries, and so does the climate resilience of sustainable development.

Key words: terrestrial ecosystem, coastal areas, impact, climate change

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