Climate change impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016

Climate change impacts on environmental systems
In addition to the direct effects of pressures on
ecosystem structure and functioning, and the
subsequent changes in capacity to deliver services,
there are also more complex impacts, including effects
on species interactions and cross-habitat linkages
(e.g. between aquatic and riparian ecosystems).
More information on the drivers of ecosystem change is
available in a recent review of 27 global and European
scenarios (Hauck et al., 2015). As a result of the
interaction between various anthropogenic pressures,
global species extinction rates (for mammals) in the
last century have been between 8 and 100 times higher
than the natural background rate (Ceballos et al., 2015).
The term 'sixth mass extinction' is frequently used to
describe this extinction crisis. These biodiversity losses
affect many ecosystem services, including cultural and
provisioning ecosystem services (Harrison et al., 2015).
4.5.2 Ecosystem service assessment
The Drivers–Pressures–State–Impacts–Response
(DPSIR) approach (Figure 4.19) provides a conceptual
framework for structuring the components of the
assessment of ecosystem condition and its biodiversity.
Human activities such as agriculture, forestry or water
management are drivers that are inducing pressures
on ecosystems, affecting their condition. These have
an impact on species richness and abundance, water
quality and other functions and, if undesired, these
effects may trigger (policy) responses, with actions
taken to tackle negative effects. The DPSIR approach
can be applied to assess the effects of environmental
changes on ecosystem services (Rounsevell et al., 2010).
The assessment of impacts of multiple pressures on
ecosystem condition calls for a better understanding of
the relative importance of the different pressures and
their interactions (Harrison et al., 2015; EEA, 2016a).
Only a few studies have addressed the combined
effects of multiple pressures, such as climate change,
land use and population change (e.g. CLIMSAVE;
Dunford et al., 2015). The relative importance of climate
change for service provision will become ever greater
in the future in comparison with the current main
pressures, such as nutrient and pollution load or land
and sea management, especially if these pressures
Figure 4.19
The DPSIR framework for European ecosystem assessment
Drivers
Population,
economic growth,
technology...
Response
Policy measures to
reduce impacts
(protection,
pollution reduction,
land management...)
Pressures
Habitat change,
climate change,
over-exploitation,
invasive species,
pollution
Impacts
Change in ecosystem
state (habitat loss or
degradation,
change in species
abundance...)
State/condition
Habitat quality,
species abundance
and diversity,
water quality etc.
Source: EEA, 2016a.
184 Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016 | An indicator-based report