Climate Change

[Hendrik the Great]

Climate change cetainly will be included in Dinosaurs, i hope.

But what does it do?

It changes the global average temperature,
changes the composition of the athmosphere, lets the sea levels rise and makes fertile plains become deserts and the other way around and then it can have an impact on the amount of radiation that reaches the surface of the earth because it can, must not, change the ozon layer and the general composition that protects life from radiation and UV light.

Plant and animal life is directly linked to it. A few degrees more and many plants cannot survife and that leaves the herbivores without food and then the carnivores. Everything must change.

Climate Change is normally not a matter of days or weeks but often years, thousands of years. But compared to plate tectonics it can take place in no time.
The greatest factor in this matter are the oceans. Mountains follow and platetectonics also works here.
It should not be a random thing but something that is triggered by true events like the tilt of the earth axis which changrs over the years or the changing composition of the atmosphere causes be the amount of oxygen, CO2 and other green gases.
Here the plants and especially the algae of the oceans come into play. The gases they release(oxygen and others) and consume(CO2) have a dirct impact the atmosphere itself and thuse change it various characteristics.
Higher O2 levels can lead to the death of entire species of plants and especially algae. They absorb CO2 and so temperature can change because of the smaller greenhouse effect. Some scientist even claim that ice ages could have partly caused by this along with the changing tilt of the earth axis and sunactivity which.

So, what do you think?

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Mathias' Civ II Page
http://members.xoom.com/thalys/index.html

[Ken Bregott]

Sounds nice, but how do we implement it into gameplay? Let's take the separate factors and see what can be done about them:

1) Pure temperature change- probably some of the most straightforwad effects. The environment changes mean your dino's will be less well equipped to deal with certain temperatures. Also, plants that the dinos eat (or that other dinos eat that your dions eat) can change, die out or multiply.

2) Sea Level Change- obvious impact on the game.

3) Radiation- Increased Mutation rate?

4) O2 depletion killing off your entire species- no. That will certainly ruin the game.

[Hendrik the Great]

You are right on 1 and 2. That's basicly what I had in mind.

3: An increased mutation rate could be the consequence but for that to happen th ozon layer would have to be damaged pretty bad.
But it goes into thr right direction. The UVA and UVB intensity would increase. That would probally not be such a major problem for dinosaurs, their eyes would have to adept and any one with a sensitive skin would get skin cancers for example. The greater impact however would be on the ecosystem. Many plants and especially algae in the oceans are very endagered by changing UVA and UVB light. A major increase would mean certain death for many, a slight would let only those survive that can deal with the effects. Algae, the greatest O2 producer on the world can die out by even small changes. There is prove for this and it has happened a few times in the history of the earth. It would have an impact on the O2 levels in oceans and the air. Which again has impact on the greenhouse effect that keeps the earth nice warm. Less algae and the temperature will rise possibly causing sea level rise.

4: Your right. I don't want to kill of entire species by night. Let's just say it will become far more difficult for species that are affected.

[Hendrik the Great]

Hey, where are all you guys?! Why don't you say something?

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Mathias' Civ II Page
http://members.xoom.com/thalys/index.html