Global Change Biology

Global Change Biology exists to promote understanding of the interface between all aspects of current environmental change that affects a substantial part of the globe and biological systems.

The journal publishes primary research articles, technical advances, research reviews, commentaries and letters.

Global Change Biology defines global change as any consistent trend in the environment - past, present or projected - that affects a substantial part of the globe. Examples include:

• rising tropospheric ozone, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide concentrations
• increasing UV-B irradiation
• global climate change
• biological sinks and sources of atmospheric trace gases
• eutrophication
• land use change
• loss of biodiversity
• biological feedback on climate change
• biological mitigation for atmospheric change

Click on the linked words to view all papers in Global Change Biology on that topic

A subscription to Global Change Biology now includes sister journal GCB Bioenergy! Don't miss out recommend to your library today!

F1000 Faculty Member Christian Koerner recommends the Global Change Biology article 'Indirect effects of soil moisture reverse soil C sequestration responses of a spring wheat agroecosystem to elevated CO_2.' Click here to read the review.

Global Change Biology frequently features in the news - here's the latest:

Global Change Biology was recently covered by Conservation Magazine
Read the Press Release: Failure To Migrate
Read the original article: Failure to migrate: lack of tree range expansion in response to climate change

Read the Press Release: Effects of El Niño land South Pacific reef fish in hot water
Read the NERC Planet Earth article: Warmer seas to hit reef fish badly
Read the original article: Extreme climatic events reduce ocean productivity and larval supply in a tropical reef ecosystem

Global Change Biology was featured in Nature News
Read the Nature article: What makes a resilient reef?
Read the original article: Associations between climate stress and coral reef diversity in the western Indian Ocean

Helpful information from Australia’s “Big Dry”
Jim Johnson and coauthors were interested in determining the effects that surrounding vegetation had on stream health during extreme climate events such as Australia’s drought deemed “The Big Dry”. Using 20 years of biomonitoring data from Victoria, Australia, the authors discovered that stream condition was consistently better in watersheds that were extensively covered by native plants. Native plant cover reduces the impact that severe drought can have on streams. These results show that vegetation management is useful tool for diminishing the harmful effects of climate extremes on aquatic ecosystems.
Article first published online: 20 JAN 2012

Slow and steady wins the race…to extinction
Human-induced global climate change has already altered species diversity by affecting species distribution. Currently, half of the world’s freshwater turtles and tortoises are considered threatened with extinction and climate change may worsen these declines. Flora Ihlow and her team used existing climate models to determine the effect future climate change may have on tortoises and turtles. Their results show climate change may alter species life habits negatively and significantly reduce populations.
Article first published online: 20 JAN 2012

Novel findings result from wheat study
Altering carbon dioxide and ozone levels will produce trade-offs in the production of wheat: A positive trait may be enhanced while a new negative trait appears. Very little is known about the underlying causes of these responses to ozone and carbon dioxide. Hakan Pleijel and Johann Uddling explore the relationship between wheat yields versus quality of wheat and discover an important and novel effect of CO2 on wheat.
Article first published online: 1 AUG 2011

Amphibians produce their own “antibiotics”
Many amphibians around the world are threatened with extinction by a recently discovered skin fungus. Some of the affected amphibians have an arsenal of self-produced “antibiotics” that are secreted onto the skin that kill the fungus. Once released onto the skin, the compound is active for fifteen minutes but slowly disappears, protecting the skin from injury. Dr. Pask and his colleagues note their results as an important tool for furthering research into protecting the world’s amphibians.
Article first published online: 9 JAN 2012