What Happens to Grassland If Global Warming Does Not Stop?

Balance Shifts

• Plant production in grasslands may increase with rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and elevated air temperatures. As the balance shifts the soil carbon and nitrogen begins to decline, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Grasslands will adversely suffer by being unable to sustain adequate nitrogen levels to make the grass a nutritious livestock feed. The digestive performance of grazing animals will severely suffer from the lack of nitrogen in the forage. Native animals, in such regions as the abundant grasslands in eastern Colorado and Wyoming. They have depended on the nutrient rich grasses for thousands of years. If the grass can no longer sustain the immense herds of browsing animals, a die off may occur in the region and other locations around the world.

Increased Moisture

• As fossil fuel consumption around the world increases, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may double in 100 years. The world's temperature may increase by two to six degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Jasper Ridge Global Change Project at the Stanford University. The rise in temperature will eventually cause the soil to retain perhaps 5 to 10 percent more moisture than normal. The increased water during spring and at the end of the growing season can cause delicate wildflowers and some grasses to die.

Wildfires

• Extended periods of wetness, followed by long dry stretches, will cause combustible plant material to build. Large wildfires may increase in frequency. The increased occurrences of wildfire will cause a rapid decline in conifer trees but an overgrowth of grass plants. Grass varieties that flourish in grasslands thrive after a wildfire. The grasslands will have an advantage over forestland and quickly overwhelm the wildfire ravaged areas. The boundaries between the ecosystems will shift, according to National Geographic. The shift will transform the life of plants, insects, wildlife and fowl that depend on the regions for survival.

Causes and Outlook

• The destruction of grasslands and forests cause an increase in carbon into the atmosphere as the plants perish and decay. The use of fossil fuels also raises the atmospheric carbon and increases global warming. As global warming becomes more pronounced the world's peat bogs and arctic tundra destabilize, and the regions can release enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Natural gas fields and landfills also emit methane into the environment which contributes to global warming. The overuse of nitrogen fertilizers by the agricultural industry may increase global warming. The use of the refrigerants, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, also cause atmospheric destruction. The growing greenhouse gasses may cause an irreversible and catastrophic warming of the Earth. Ultimately, the global warming and its affects can change the world's grasslands and ecosystems dramatically.