Global Changes and Grasslands

"Global changes" is a descriptor used for referencing changes in the environment of the Earth that might or might not change the planet's ability to sustain life.  Many people-myself included might immediately think of climate change when we hear "global change".  This is something different, however, in that climate change is a part of the larger picture that is global change.  Global Change incorporates all types of change in the world that negatively impact they Earth's ability to provide a sustainable environment in which we an survive.  Theses types of change include, but are not limited to: climate change, land use change, hydrologic cycle changes, biochemical cycles, and life variety changes(loss).  The following actions/research is being undertaken to help combat this global change.  These were taken from the global change government website.

• Tracking Earth's carbon budge with global observations
• Explaining extreme events from a climate perspective
• Predicting changes in Arctic sea ice
• Understanding tropical cyclones in a warmer world
• Mapping fallowed farmland during drought.
• Preparing for the health hazards of extreme heat.
• Understanding climate risks and opportunities in the energy sector
• Developing scenarios of change for sustained assessment
• Assessing risks to urban agriculture in Asia and Africa
• Engaging with the philanthropic sector to meet climate challenges
• Teaching the National Climate Assessment

The way that global change will affect grasslands is with an altered hydrologic cycle and perhaps losing them through land-use changes.  Great Plains grasslands should remain fairly stable while US semi desert grasslands is expected to expand.  Great Basin shrub-grasslands is expected to have decline along with California Valley grasslands which are predicted to have great declines.  The Gulf Coast grasslands are expected shrink toward southeastern Texas.

Global change will affect grasslands by increasing the summer temper

http://www.globalchange.gov/news/our-changing-planet-FY16-release