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THE GLOBAL
CHANGE
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The human change concept
includes all human-derived transformations of the highly complex
Earth system. Climate change associated with increased atmospheric
CO2 is the central component of this concept. Nevertheless, the Global
Change also includes a series of processes of local or regional origin
that can propagate into much larger scales, namely
over exploitation of natural resources |
erosion |
acidification |
eutrophization |
toxification of the biosphere |
urbanization |
easier organism dispersion |
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These processes have caused land degradation, change in the disturbance
regimes, loss in biodiversity, the rise of invader species and the
emergence of new diseases, among other effects. Nearly all—if
not all—of these components of global change are or could be
affected by climate change, and in some cases the effects can ultimately
have greater consequences on a given territory or society than the
climate change itself. Trying to study all possible interactions
would be impossible, but we can address those aspects of greatest
interest, whether globally, or locally, for which our team is especially
suited. Specifically, we aim to study the relationship between climate
and:
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magnification of the nitrogen cycle, which has
doubled the concentration of reactive nitrogen in the planet
since the pre-industrial period |
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toxification of the biosphere via diffuse contamination |
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facilitation of the dispersion of organisms, in
particular, the atmospheric transport of microorganisms and marine
invader species |
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changes in disturbance regime and its consequences
on desertification processes |
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changes in vegetation |
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changes in the coastal processes that dictate the
evolution of coastlines |
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seasonal changes in the atmospheric boundary layer
structure of the Mediterranean region. |
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