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Center for Coastal Resources Management

Climate Change Impacts in Virginia: Climate Cascades

Climate change cascades occur when a species or process not directly affected by changes in temperature or precipitation responds to climate change due to a change in a related species or process that is strongly affected by changes in temperature or precipitation. An example would be a change in the mouse population size, which is indirectly related to changes in precipitation. Although precipitation does not appear to directly affect the mouse population size, it does affect mast production by a number of tree species. The mast is a source of food for the mouse population and when more food is available, a larger population can be sustained.

This diagram shows links in abiotic factors that can propagate climate changes. The orange boxes are examples of the types of metabolic and temporal changes that can result from shifts in the abiotic factors. These shifts affect both individual species population dynamics and ecological community make-up and function.

This diagram illustrates ecological connections and how climate changes can resonate through an ecological web.

The pathways for the ecological connections include temperature and precipitation changes. The arrow means 'affects' or 'leads to'.

Temperature Changes Affect:

  1. Sea level rise (SLR) arrow change salinity distribution arrow Estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) location arrow location of phytoplankton bloom arrow availability of food for zooplankton population arrow availability of food for jellyfish and ctenophore populations

  2. Phytoplankton bloom timing arrow availability of food for zooplankton population arrow availability of food for jellyfish and ctenophore populations

  3. SLR arrow marsh location and composition and other landscape features

  4. Mosquito populations arrow human health and safety through disease transmission

Precipitation Changes Affect:

  1. Salinity and freshwater flows arrow ETM location arrow location of phytoplankton bloom arrowavailability of food for zooplankton population arrowavailability of food for jellyfish and ctenophore populations

  2. Tree growth and production arrow Mast (e.g., acorn) production arrow food availability for deer population arrow tick population size arrow human health and safety through disease transmission

  3. Bat population arrowmosquito population size arrow human health and safety through disease transmission