User:Rileymuir/Climate Change in Hawaii

Introduction
Climate Change is a change of global climate pattern. The climate change that is most apparent is the one that has been occurring from the mid to late twenties and onward. The Islands of Hawai'i are home to many ecosystems that are directly being affected by these changes of climate patterns.

Extinctions
The rates of extinctions among Hawaii native species is growing exponentially. Climate Change represents a direct link to extinctions in certain species in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers are a species of bird that's been directly affected by anthropogenic climate change. The crop and pasture land has replaced their forest habitat, and human introductions of predators and diseases, particularly of mosquitoes and avian malaria, has eliminated them from the remaining low- and mid-elevation forests. The slightest change of an ecosystem could cause a domino effect in other plant and animal species on the islands.This means the extinction of the Hawaiian HoneyCreepers could cause an increase of the insects threat which causes a shift in wildlife population.

Water Shortage
The Hawaiian Islands are iscolated in terms of geography. This causes the island communities to rely on water they can get from the island. The Hawaiian Islands, rely on local water resources, which may be very sensitive to climate change. The warming climate effects precipitation and sea levels which all contribute to the water supply. Recent studies on climate change have shown that rainfall over the Hawaiian Islands is expected to decrease during the nominal wet season (November to April) but marginally increase during the dry season. Rainfall is crucial to Hawaii's fragile ecosystems and vegetation. Scientists have already seen changes on the Hawaiian Islands due to the shorter wet season. Sustainability is at risk for many communities on the islands. The decrease in water supply effects the population of people on Hawaii exponentially.

Diseases
The rising temperatures put Hawaii at risk for disease. Climate change affects the distribution of diseases, causing some regions to become more or less favorable for the transmission of certain pathogens. Scientist predict warmer, dryer summer seasons globally which effects the transmission of diseases linked to mosquitos. The hotter temperatures in Hawaii during he summer season puts the islands of Hawaii at risk for more mosquitos which mean more diseases like, Dungue. Dengue is a disease spread through mosquitos that causes flu like symptoms and in severe cases cause hospitalization and sometimes even death. Scientist have studied the relationship between climate and dengue which has drawn a lot of attention to how humans will be affected. Disease doesn't only effect the wild life on Hawaii, but also the people that inhabit the Islands.

Rising Sea Levels
El Nino is a warm phase associated with a band of water that enters the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii experienced record-high sea levels during 2017, which followed the 2015 strong El Niño and coincided with weak trade winds in the tropical northeastern Pacific. The predicted weak trade winds are associated with global warming, specifically greenhouse warming. Rising sea levels will cause a lot of negative impact on Hawaiis people and ecosystems. Flooding, erosion, and agriculture are just a few examples of he negative impacts of Rising Sea Levels. Agriculture is an important part of Hawaii's ecosystems and food production.

Tropical Storms
Tropical storms are apart of the natural climate of the Hawaiian Islands. The typical hurricane season for Hawaii is typically June to November. Due to climate change, the risk of an increased amount of cyclones/hurricanes is a potential cause for concern. Scientists have developed a projection to see whether or not these numbers will increase. A suite of future warming experiments (2075–2099), using a state-of-the-art high-resolution global climate model1,2,3, robustly predicts an increase in tropical cyclone frequency of occurrence around the Hawaiian Islands. These types of predictions will tell scientists about the future of the state of Hawaii in connection to tropical storms. Tropical storms effect agriculture because of the possible flooding, heavy winds, and rainfall.

Rising Ocean Temperatures
The rising ocean temperatures are related to the rising CO2. This rise in CO2 is also lowering the PH levels effecting marine life. Marine life makes up a large portion of the Hawaiian ecosystems. The coral reefs are expiring bleaching caused by these rising PH levels.Present evidence suggests that many corals would be unable to adapt physiologically or genetically to such marked and rapid temperature increases. Without the coral reefs many of the fish that rely on these habitats will not survive. The destruction the coral reefs due to global warming and bleaching will cause for mass extinctions among the marine life globally, not just in Hawaii. The coral reefs are an important part to the ecosystems around the world, and these reefs are particularly sensitive to rising ocean temperatures.