Effects of climate change on biomes

Climate change has already been altering biomes, adversely affecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems alike. Climate change represents the long-term alteration of temperature and average weather patterns, in addition to a substantial increase in both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. As the area's climate changes, a change in its flora and fauna follows. For instance, out of 4000 species analyzed by the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, half were found to have shifted their distribution to higher latitudes or elevations in response to climate change.

On Earth, biomes (/ˈbaɪ.oʊm/) are the main constituent parts of the biosphere, defined by a distinctive biological community and a shared regional climate. A single biome would include multiple ecosystems and ecoregions; on the other hand, a biogeographic realm is about geographic area, which might include parts of multiple distinctive biomes with different climate. According to the World Wildlife Fund classification, terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments each consist of hundreds of ecoregions, around a dozen biome types, and a single-digit number of biogeographic regions.