Atmospheric change and the future of the biosphere

By focusing on particular ecosystems, such as temperate zone forests and estuaries, we have identified several points of synergistic interaction among the global stresses of climate change and UV-B increase, on the one hand, and the local or regional changes associated with acid deposition, nutrient fluxes and the heavy metal burden on the other. An important chemical outcome of atmospheric change is the rapid increase in oxidant levels throughout the lower atmosphere and the hydrosphere. These oxidants are phytotoxic, and contribute directly and indirectly, with other stresses, to the acceleration of the sulfur, nitrogen and carbon cycles. These changes contribute to the net transfer of nutrients from land to coastal ocean with accompanying forest decline and coastal eutrophication. -from Author