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| | The potential impacts of climate change may vary in scale and ramifications dependent upon the geographical region, the extent of human development, and the vision of community and resource managers to plan for a changing future. Temperature changes may have greater influences poleward than at the equator. Extreme storm events may increase in intensity and frequency in many regions. Regions may experience more extreme periods of flooding or drought or both. Sea level changes may exacerbate these conditions. In coastal areas already at or below sea level or experiencing subsidence or compaction of land masses, the inundation will accelerate. Changes in ocean currents and upwellings may further augment temperature impacts as some coasts lose the moderating influences of coastal currents and coastal economies are deprived of deep ocean nutrients. Many natural areas, particularly poleward, may become uninhabitable for some cold-tolerant organisms who have nowhere to which they may retreat, but, more habitable for some species including humans. Migration routes in rivers and tributaries that drain into coastal waters allow passage of anadromous species. Passage may be blocked or severely constrained because of changing hydrogeological events associated with climate change and complicated by the growth and development of human society and multi-uses applied to water bodies. Fresh water diversions of tributaries to meet the growing agricultural and industrial needs, may exacerbate the effects of climate change on coastal uses and habitat. For instance, saltwater intrusions may rapidly change habitat structure and composition and adversely impact coastal and riverine freshwater domestic and industrial users. In the polar regions, passages, totally or partially icebound much of the year, may be more open to organisms moving with physical changes in their habitat. | | | | |
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