Oxford Scholarship Online: The Biology of Polar Regions

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The Biology of Polar Regions Thomas, D.N. University of Wales, Bangor, UK Fogg, G.E. University of Wales, Bangor, UK. Deceased 2005 Convey, P. British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK Fritsen, C.H. Desert Research Institute, Nevada, USA Gili, J.-M. Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Spanish National Research Council, Spain Gradinger, R. University of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Laybourn-Parry, J. University of Tasmania, Australia Reid, K. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Tasmania, Australia Walton, D.W.H. British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK Print publication date: 2008 (this edition) Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: May 2008 Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-929811-2
10 Climate change in polar regions doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199298112.003.0010 David N. Thomas G.E. (Tony) Fogg Peter Convey Christian H. Fritsen Josep-Maria Gili Rolf Gradinger Johanna Laybourn-Parry Keith Reid David W.H. Walton Abstract: The polar regions have undergone major changes in configuration of land masses and climate over millions of years. However, it is the geologically brief period beginning around 120,000 years before present (BP), including a warm interglacial followed by the Würm glaciation and then the interglacial in which we now live, which is most relevant. This chapter discusses changes during geological time: the ice ages; biological responses to long-term changes; and present-day global climate change and polar regions. Keywords: climate change, global warming, ice age, warm interglacial, Würm glaciation,