Ecological Impacts of Climate Change

Life on Earth is profoundly affected by the planet's climate. Explore some of the ecological impacts of climate change that have already been observed—right in your own backyard.

This 28-page booklet is based on Ecological Impacts of Climate Change (2009), a report by an independent panel of experts convened by the National Research Council. It explains general themes about the ecological consequences of climate change and identifies examples of ecological changes across the United States. Download PDF Version (8 MB) Order FREE Printed Copies [This product is currently out of stock. Please check back or refer to the PDF and online versions.] Download Presentation Modules Explore Booklet Online

Powerpoint Presentation Modules on Ecological Impacts

These Powerpoint presentation modules were developed to assist educators, museum docents, and other interested parties in sharing information about the ecological impacts of climate change.

Presentations can be personalized to your geographic region. For your convenience, presenter notes are embedded in the Powerpoint files.



Step 1: Download Introductory Powerpoint Slides (5.8 MB)

Step 2: Download Powerpoint Slides for Your Region

• Pacfic Coastline (151 KB)
• Alaska and the Arctic (236 KB)
• Western Mountains (1 MB)
• Southwestern Deserts (133 KB)
• Central U.S. (291 KB)
• Southeast (222 KB)
• Northeast (98 KB)

Step 3: Download Conclusion Powerpoint Slides (335 KB)

Step 4: Combine Powerpoint Slides into a Single Presentation and Enjoy!

If you prefer, you may download the Full Presentation (5.9 MB) including all geographic regions.

Explore Ecological Impacts of Climate Change Online

Browse the contents of this booklet online by navigating through the sections below. Figures from the booklet are also available for downloading here.

• Introduction
• What do we know about climate change?
• What are the ecological impacts of climate change?
  • Impacts in the Pacific Coastline
  • Impacts in Alaska and the Arctic
  • Impacts in the Western Mountains
  • Impacts in the Southwestern Deserts
  • Impacts in the Central United States
  • Impacts in the Southeast
  • Impacts in the Northeast
• What does the future hold...and what can we do?

About These Products

The Ecological Impacts section of this website was developed by the National Academies based on Ecological Impacts of Climate Change (2009), a report by an independent panel of experts convened by the National Research Council. The report, its companion booklet, and the presentation modules were created with support from the United States Geological Survey.