Initial Publication Date: October 10, 2010 | Revision: September 11, 2024 (see revision history: 2 events)

Life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate.

Climate Literacy Principle 3

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Teaching about the relationship between climate and life is supported by five key concepts:

a. Individual organisms survive within specific ranges of temperature, precipitation, humidity, and sunlight. Organisms exposed to climate conditions outside their normal range must adapt or migrate, or they will perish.

There are 4 more fundamental concepts. See them all...

b. The presence of small amounts of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere warms Earth's surface, resulting in a planet that sustains liquid water and life.

c. Changes in climate conditions can affect the health and function of ecosystems and the survival of entire species. The distribution patterns of fossils show evidence of gradual as well as abrupt extinctions related to climate change in the past.

d. A range of natural records shows that the last 10,000 years have been an unusually stable period in Earth's climate history. Modern human societies developed during this time. The agricultural, economic, and transportation systems we rely upon are vulnerable if the climate changes significantly.

e. Life—including microbes, plants, animals, and humans—is a major driver of the global carbon cycle and can influence global climate by modifying the chemical makeup of the atmosphere. The geologic record shows that life has significantly altered the atmosphere during Earth's history.

Life affects the climate system and in turn, the climate dictates where and how species can survive.

Life affects the composition of the atmosphere and therefore the climate because different life forms take in and release gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and oxygen at different rates. Climatic conditions help to shape various ecosystems and habitats around the globe. A particular climate can be a boon to one species and devastation to another. As the climate changes, species and ecosystems respond by adapting, migrating, or reducing their population. Gradual shifts in the climate are easier to adapt to than abrupt swings, and this is certainly true for humans as well as other species. Studies of Earth's climatic history indicate that climates have changed in the past and resulted in dramatic shifts in ecosystems. The most recent geological period the Holocene (about the last 10,000 years), however, has been unusually stable.

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There is a dynamic balance between life and climate

The manner in which the earth sustains life is of vital importance on many levels.

The conditions on Earth such as temperature, moisture, oxygen concentration, and sunlight, are what sustains life.
Throughout geologic history, life on Earth has affected the climate system and vice versa.
Extinctions of species, both in the geologic past and in the present day, can be linked to changes in climate.
Unraveling past climatic changes is key to understanding the present and future shifts in climate.
Changes in climate will result in shifting ecosystems. It is not possible to predict the details of specific effects of climate change on each of the world's ecosystems.
Although the concentrations of greenhouse gases have changed throughout Earth's history, there is no natural analog to today's rapid increases in human-created greenhouse gas emissions.

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Helping students understand these ideas

Like much of climate science, these concepts span multiple scientific disciplines. Teaching these ideas is a way to illustrate how scientific thinking benefits from sharing expertise among different types of scientists.

This topic can be introduced by brainstorming for conditions that are needed for life to thrive. Students can explore how life exists in many parts of the earth system, such as in the depths of the oceans or acidic hot springs. Life is robust and versatile. Nonetheless, all organisms need certain conditions to live.

The planet currently exists at a temperature that is neither boiling nor permanently frozen. This is due to the natural greenhouse effect that causes the atmosphere to retain outgoing heat. A possible misconception is to confuse the natural greenhouse effect with the enhancement of this effect caused by emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel burning (McCaffrey & Buhr, 2008). This is an ideal opportunity to discuss the difference between natural processes and human effects. For example, if a certain amount of a greenhouse gas allows life on Earth to flourish, then is more of it better?

When teaching about the interplay between climate and life, the differences between natural and human-caused changes should be emphasized. Questions may arise such as: Are all-natural changes good? Are all human-caused effects bad? Is our current climate the "right" climate? It's important to emphasize that the recent increases in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are unprecedented in the geologic past. Comparing natural and human-caused changes can foster stewardship of the planet among students.

Teaching about the limited ability of organisms to adapt to climate change should not lead to gloom-and-doom scenarios. Instead, try to foster an understanding that humans have a responsibility to stabilize the natural climatic conditions to preserve the environments in which humans and the surrounding ecosystems thrive. For more on climate change and mental health, see the CLEAN Climate Mental Health pages.

Bringing these ideas into your classroom

Many of these ideas are part of the life science curriculum but they integrate concepts from physical sciences, geography, and other disciplines. Possible topics to teach an understanding of this principle are:

Seasonal migrations of species.
The effects of the spring "green up" in the Northern Hemisphere and the resulting seesaw pattern in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations as illustrated by the Carbon Dioxide Exercise.
Decade-scale events such as insect outbreaks, forest succession, or drought.
The role of life in shaping climate, particularly in the creation of Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere.
The 100,000-year cycle of ice ages, the role of CO₂ in enhancing the temperature swings, and the response of biological systems to these dramatic shifts in climate.
Periodic mass extinction events punctuate the geologic record and were likely related to climatic changes.

Another approach that may be engaging for older students is the delicate relationship between life and the climate. Many students will be surprised to learn of past mass extinction events and other sharp swings in the balance of the biosphere. This is a key place to discuss the role of humans in changing our environment and climate.

Teaching materials from the CLEAN collection

Middle school

Temperature and precipitation as limiting factors in ecosystems - Students correlate graphs of vegetation vigor, temperature, and precipitation data for four diverse ecosystems to determine which climatic factor is limiting growth.
The Ocean's Green Machines is a video about phytoplankton - the base of the marine food web, the source of half of the oxygen on Earth, and an important remover of CO₂ from the atmosphere.
Data Puzzle: The Tipping Point - In this activity, students analyze and interpret data on the reproduction of moss campion plants to explore how increasing temperatures could impact these specialized tundra plants.

High school

Students can explore climate-driven ecosystem effects such as with an animation that shows Pine Bark Beetle Outbreaks and Climate. There are many resources about pine beetles in the CLEAN collection, including several videos.
Trees, Forests, and Climate Change - In this activity, students will learn about and model the carbon cycle. Using data from Global Forest Watch, students investigate regional and global patterns of forest loss, gain, and carbon emissions to answer the questions: should we plant trees as a solution to climate change? Does location matter? How do we know?
The Once and Future Corals is a narrated slide show that illustrates how coral reefs are in danger from pollution, ocean temperature change, ocean acidification, and climate change. In addition, scientists discuss how taking cores from corals yields information on past changes in ocean temperature.
Project Budburst is a citizen science project that looks at the impact of humans on plants and animals in the environment.

Related Pedagogic Methods:

College

Carbon Dioxide Exercise offers a clever group activity to plot data points of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The seasonal removal of CO₂ becomes very evident in the data.
PETM: Unearthing Ancient Climate Change is a video that looks at the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which is the closest analog we have to the rapid rise in greenhouse gases that we are experiencing today.
Climate History from Deep Sea Sediments is an activity that uses deep-sea core sediment data to reconstruct the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).
Investigating Coral Bleaching Using Real Data - A sequence of 5 activities using real-world data to explain the importance of coral reefs and the relationship of coral reef health to the surrounding environment. There are several resources about coral bleaching in the CLEAN collection.

Find activities and visuals for teaching this topic

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References

Carbon Cycle - a brief explanation of the carbon cycle from NOAA.

Basics of the Carbon Cycle and the Greenhouse Effect provides a brief and easy to understand summary of the cutting edge research questions in this field.

CarbonTracker This NOAA tool is a CO₂ measurement and modeling system to keep track of sources and sinks of carbon dioxide around the world.

xkcd Timeline of Earth's Average Temperature illustrates the stable climate throughout the Holocene.

Global Warming 55 million years ago, an article from the Smithsonian that summarizes the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, which offers insights into our current climate conditions. This is an area of ongoing research, particularly because of its relevance to modern climate change.