The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report detailing the increased risk of U.S. crop failures, depletion of water resources and outbreaks of invasive species.  The report, from the Joint Global Change Research Institute at the University of Maryland, synthesized research from more than 1,000 publications as part of an assessment on global warming. 

"I think what's really eye-opening is the depth and breadth of the impacts and consequences going on right now," said Tony Janetos, a study author, said in an article in the Seattle PI describing the USDA report. 

"Rising carbon dioxide levels are changing the metabolism of grasses and shrubs on range land, decreasing the protein levels in plants eaten by cattle. Sea corals are dying as water temperatures rise."

Warmer, drier weather is altering the biodiversity of deserts in the Southwest and the high, colder deserts of Nevada, Utah and eastern Washington, said Steve Archer of the University of Arizona. Plants and animals already living in extreme conditions face threats from wildfires and nonnative species, he said."