Significant changes in physical and biological systems are occurring on all continents and in most oceans, with a concentration of available data in Europe and North America. Most of these changes are in the direction expected with warming temperature. Here we show that these changes in natural systems since at least 1970 are occurring in regions of observed temperature increases, and that these temperature increases at continental scales cannot be explained by natural climate variations alone. Given the conclusions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely to be due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations, and furthermore that it is likely that there has been significant anthropogenic warming over the past 50 years averaged over each continent except Antarctica, we conclude that anthropogenic climate change is having a significant impact on physical and biological systems globally and in some continents.

We explore the connections among indigenous climate-related narratives, documented temperature changes, and climate change impact studies from the scientific literature. We then propose a framework for enhancing synthesis of these indigenous narratives of observed climate change with global assessments. Our aim is to contribute to the thoughtful and respectful integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific data and analysis, so that this rich body of knowledge can inform science and so that indigenous peoples can use the tools and methods of science for the benefit of their communities if they choose to do so. Improving ways of understanding such connections is critical as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report process proceeds.

Human-influenced climate change is an observed phenomenon affecting physical and biological systems across the globe. The majority of observed impacts are related to temperature changes and are located in the northern high-and midlatitudes. However, new evidence is emerging that demonstrates that impacts are related to precipitation changes as well as temperature, and that climate change is impacting systems and sectors beyond the Northern Hemisphere. In this paper, we highlight some of this new evidence-focusing on regions and sectors that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4) noted as under-represented-in the context of observed climate change impacts, direct and indirect drivers of change (including carbon dioxide itself), and methods of detection. We also present methods and studies attributing observed impacts to anthropogenic forcing. We argue that the expansion of methods of detection (in terms of a broader array of climate variables and data sources, inclusion of the major modes of climate variability, and incorporation of other drivers of change) is key to discerning the climate sensitivities of sectors and systems in regions where the impacts of climate change currently remain elusive. Attributing such changes to human forcing of the climate system, where possible, is important for development of effective mitigation and adaptation. Current challenges in documenting adaptation and the role of indigenous knowledge in detection and attribution are described. climate itself. 1,2 Here, we focus on climate change impacts-a topic of major concern-and the issues arising from the detection and attribution of these impacts. These issues include consideration of multiple drivers of change, new types of evidence that have emerged since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4), 3 and attribution of climate change impacts specifically to anthropogenic forcing. This paper presents an overview of the detection and attribution of climate change impacts, including how climate variables and non-climate factors affect physical and biological systems, methods of detection of observed changes, and the attribution of changes to anthropogenic climate forcing. We then present a summary of observed impacts and new evidence with a focus on the tropics and marine systems, which have Volume 4,

This paper describes the characteristics of microalgal strains that originated out of an 31 isolation and screening project included within the National Alliance for Advanced 32 Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB). The project's goal was to identify new potential 33 platform strains with high growth rates and/or lipid productivities. To classify the best 34 performing strains, we conducted a combined microscopic and phylogenetic analysis. 35Among the best performing strains were many coccoid green algae. Several strains 36 belong to the species Acutodesmus (Scenedesmus) obliquus and to the species Chlorella 37 sorokiniana, thus expanding on existing germplasm. Identified at the genus level were 38 some Desmodesmus strains and one Ankistrodesmus strain. Several strains were classified 39 as belonging to the genus Coelastrella, a taxon reported for the first time for North 40 America. Multiple additional strains had ambiguous identities, with some strains possibly 41 representing novel species. Reporting on the above strains, some of which have been 42tested successfully in outdoor ponds and most of which are deposited at the University of 43 Texas Culture Collection of Algae, is a step forward in expanding the biological 44 resources available for algae biofuel production.