The Greenhouse Effect, Climatic Change, and Ecosystems

This is the result of the first international scientific assessment of the consequences of the continuing increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which modify the radioactive balance of the atmosphere. It addresses a number of questions which have been of major concern in recent years. These include the projection of energy use and increased emission of carbon dioxide by fossil fuel burning; the natural sources and sinks of carbon dioxide and their modification by deforestation and changing land use; the expected increase in the level of other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; possible climatic change and its detection; sea level change and its detection and the overall response of terrestrial ecosystems. The book summarizes our current knowledge of this important subject and presents the main uncertainties and controversies that remain. Scientists drawn from a number of disciplines contribute their own perspectives to the analysis of the problem, making the book of interest to meteorologists, climatologists, enviromental scientists and energy researchers.