ABSTRACT
Given that an ecosystem is defined by a dynamic arrangement of competing and evolving populations controlled by common nutrient cycles and energy pathways, consideration of how climate change can alter the stability of these cycles and pathways may be useful. Change in climatic variables — either in terms of the mean, the seasonal cycle, or day-to-day variability — can affect all constituents of ecosystems, flora, and fauna, including mammals and birds as well as herbivorous insects, parasitic plants, and fungi. A change in any constituent’s essential role can change the details of the ecosystem’s structure and function. Depending upon the scale of a disturbance, climate change can alter the sustainability of the ecosystem and can upset the hierarchy and the composition of biotic species.
