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Types of Greenhouse Effects

The greenhouse effect is a term used to describe the process by which atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide trap sunlight entering the Earth's atmosphere and retain the energy as heat that warms the Earth's surface. Since the late1900s, many scientists have been concerned about the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activities and the possible impacts if our atmosphere heats up too much--and too quickly.

  1. Plant and Animal Species

    • According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report, global warming is on the rise as a result of increased greenhouse gas emissions in the Earth's atmosphere. One of the main effects of this increased temperature is to plant and animal species across the globe. Not only have events such as species migration and annual blooms and harvests shifted in many instances, but ranges of entire species have also seen changes. While some species have increased in population, others have decreased, and as a result, many inter-species relationships, including predator-prey relationships have been disrupted.

    Snow and ice Cover

    • Global warming is also impacting the amount of snow and ice cover on the Earth's surface. As the planet's surface temperature rises, arctic sea ice is melting more quickly, snow cover is deceasing and glaciers all around the world are receding. As the arctic sea ice melts, the ocean levels are predicted to rise, water temperatures will change, and coastal communities will be affected in many places around the globe. In addition, arctic sea ice helps reflect the sun's rays back into space, so as the polar ice cover shrinks, fewer rays are being reflected back into the atmosphere, thus further speeding up the planet's warming.

    Human populations

    • Global warming impacts human populations insofar as it also impacts the environments in which people live. Primary effects are from damages that result from changes in weather patterns--including droughts, floods and changes in rainfall. As some areas experience more extreme, and sometimes more frequent, weather events, people in those areas often experience direct physical and economical losses.

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