Transcript CCandEcosystems.ppt

Impacts of
Climate Change
On Ecosystems
Air Quality and Ecosystems
September 2014, Flagstaff, AZ
Sue Wotkyns
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Northern Arizona University
Presentation Overview
• National Climate Assessment
• Water
• Extreme events
• Plants and animals
• Seasonal patterns
• Adaptation
Third National Climate Assessment
•
Released in May 2014
•
Trends and projections
•
Impacts on sectors
•
Impacts on regions
•
Response strategies
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/
Ch. 8: Ecosystems, Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystems: living and non-living things
Biodiversity: variety of life, # species, life forms, genetic
types, habitats and biomes
Ecosystem services: benefits produced by ecosystems,
biodiversity
Water
Reduced ability of ecosystems to improve
water quality and regulate water flows
Decreased and altered timing of streamflow
→ less snowpack, less precipitation in spring
Habitat loss, local extinctions of fish, other aquatic
species
Water
↑ amount, intensity of rainfall
→pollution from excess nutrients, sediment
Soil erosion, sediment transport
→ impacts salmon/trout, recreation, navigation
Warmer air - warmer water
→ algae blooms
Extreme events
Overwhelming capacity of ecosystems to buffer
impacts from extreme events like fires, floods, and
storms
Loss of salt marshes, reefs, mangrove forests, barrier islands
→ increases vulnerability
Tornado damage in Moore, OK, 2013. Photo credit:
FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino
Extreme events
Sudden ↑in water flow and materials it carries
→ decreased capacity of ecosystems to process pollutants
Warming +/- decreased precipitation (and past forest fire
suppression practices) → increased risk of large fires
Flooding of Boulder Creek in Boulder, CO,
2013. Photo credit: FEMA News photo
Las Conchas fire, 2011, Credit: D. Chavarria, Pueblo of Santa
Clara
Plants and animals
Landscapes and seascapes are changing rapidly,
and species may disappear from regions where they
have been prevalent or become extinct
Many changes driven by increased fire frequency/severity
Plants and animals
Shifts in species assemblages
Can species keep pace with climate change?
Increase ranges of invasive species
Photo credit: Seth Moore,
Grand Portage Band of
Chippewa
Plants and animals
Loss of fish species from lower-elevation streams
Transitions from cold-water to warm-water fish communities
in oceans
Credit: S. Moore, Grand Portage Band of
Chippewa
Quinault Nation, WA
Seasonal patterns
Timing of critical biological events, such as spring
bud burst, emergence from overwintering, and start
of migrations, has shifted, leading to important
impacts on species and habitats.
Phenology – pattern of seasonal life cycle events in plants,
animals
Plants, animals become out of phase w/ natural phenology
→ outbreaks of pests, can’t find food at right time
Seasonal patterns
Longer growing season
→ mismatch between nutrient availability in soil
and readiness of plant to use them
→ increase human allergies
Changed timing of spring bird migration
→ mismatch in food availability
Adaptation
Whole system management – often more effective
than focusing on one species at a time – can help
reduce harm to wildlife, natural assets, and human
well-being that climate disruption might cause.
Managing change
Adaptive management
Assessments of vulnerability and impacts
Wetland restoration at Oneida Nation of
Wisconsin
Adaptation
General planning process that is flexible,
iterative
Scenario planning
Cooperation between scientists, managers
Ecosystem-based adaptation
→Example: use of storm-buffering
coastal wetlands instead of built
infrastructure like seawalls
Jocko River restoration, Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Adaptation
Strategies to protect biodiversity
→ Conserve populations w/ higher genetic diversity, more
flexible behaviors/morphologies
→ Re-plant with species better suited for future climates
Sand sausage grid to stabilize
mobilized sand dune on Navajo
Nation
Fish hatchery, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe,
NV
Bosque restoration along Rio Grande,
Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
Adaptation
Strategies to protect biodiversity
→ Managed relocation (assisted migration)
→ Offsite conservation -- seed banking,
biobanking, and captive breeding
→Habitat manipulation
A big challenge for adaptation is
revision of management goals in
fundamental ways.
Contact us
Sue Wotkyns
Climate Change Program Manager
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Northern Arizona University
Susan.Wotkyns@nau.edu
928-523-1488
For more information about ITEP’s Tribal Climate
Change Program, please visit our website:
www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/