Consider this claim: Changes in environmental conditions always result in new ecosystems and loss of biodiversity characterized by an increase in the number of some species, the evolution of new species, and the extinction of some species. Use what you have learned from the lesson, as well as reliable and reputable resources, to evaluate this claim. Use at least three examples from the lesson and other sources to support the valid ideas in the claim and refute the invalid ones. Add a list of your resources at the end of your response. Then, draw a conclusion about the stability of ecosystems, how and what can affect the stability of ecosystems, and how changes in the environment may affect the types and number of living things in an ecosystem.

Climate change impacts on biodiversity are already being observed in alteration of the timing of critical biological events such as spring bud burst, and substantial range shifts of many species. In the longer term, there is an increased risk of species extinction. These changes have social, cultural, and economic effects. Events such as droughts, floods, wildfires, and pest outbreaks associated with climate change (for example, bark beetles in the West) are already disrupting ecosystems. These changes limit the capacity of ecosystems, such as forests, barrier beaches, and wetlands, to continue to play important roles in reducing the impacts of extreme events on infrastructure, human communities, and other valued resources.

In addition to direct impacts on ecosystems, societal choices about land use and agricultural practices affect the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and other elements, which also influence climate. These choices can affect, positively or negatively, the rate and magnitude of climate change and the vulnerabilities of human and natural systems.