Ecological climatology

Abstract

Earth's climate is understood in terms of a system of several interacting spheres and the energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles that link these spheres. The main components of the Earth system are: atmosphere, air; hydrosphere, water; cryosphere, frozen portion of Earth; bio-sphere, living organisms; pedosphere, soil; and anthroposphere, humans. People are important agents of environmental change through land use and land-cover change and co-option of the hydrologic cycle and biogeochemical cycles. Numerous physical, chemical, and biological processes within the Earth system feed back to accentuate or mitigate climate change. Many of these feedbacks relate to terrestrial ecosystems and human activities. Greater understanding of Earth and its climate requires that all components of the Earth system-physical, chemical, biological, socioeconomic-be considered.