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Presentation by Barbara Samora, Park Biologist
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Climate Change Related Long-‐term Monitoring, Inventories, Surveys and Research in The Nisqually
Watershed in Mount Rainier Na?onal Park
Long-‐term Ecological Monitoring Programs
Climate Monitoring • Understand varia7ons in other park resources being monitored.
• Compare current and historical data to understand long term trends.
air temp precipita7on (including snow)
snow depth wind speed wind direc7on soil moisture soil temperature rela7ve humidity
Climate Monitoring
Cayuse Pass SNOTEL Cayuse Pass
Climate
View of Tatoosh Range from Paradise
Water Year 2011 Paradise
Record year Snow melt 8/25
Extreme Weather Events
Gobblers Knob Lookout winter 2006
2006 121mph Nov 6
Remnants of an avalanche that occurred at Owyhigh Lakes, Mount Rainier Na7onal Park. Avalanche debris covered most of the northern por7on of the lake and introduced substan7al amounts of large woody debris into the lake. Photo was taken on July 19th, 2011.
Lakes are like petri dishes – exposed to atmospheric and terrestrial processes. and subject to climate change, wind-‐blown contaminants, acid rain, and increased recrea7onal impacts
Monitoring Mountain Lake Ecology
Long Term Lakes Monitoring
Amphibians Fish Macroinvertebrates Zooplankton
Citizen Science Amphibian Monitoring
Nisqually River at Longmire
Drainage basin size: 48.67 km2 (18.79 mi2) 3 Glaciers (Nisqually, Wilson and Van Trump) Mean annual precipita7on: 262 cm (103 in)
Discharge Measurement
Radar Level Sensor
Mount Rainier Atmospheric Issues
• Deposi7on sulfur and nitrogen compounds (acid deposi7on)
• Visibility • Ozone Research
• Mercury/contaminants in fish and sediments
Climate change could have the following impacts on air quality levels (EPA 2009):
Produce 2-‐8 ppb increases in summer?me average ground-‐level ozone concentra?ons in many regions of the country. • Further exacerbate ozone concentra?ons on days when weather is already conducive to high ozone concentra?ons • Lengthen the ozone season • Produce both increases and decreases in par?cle pollu?on over different regions of the U.S.
Baseline Inventories/Research
Quan7fy Hg bioaccumula7on and risk in aqua7c habitats throughout the park and determine spa7al varia7on among different aqua7c habitat types
Provide a tool to predict risk at sites throughout the park
Mercury Cycling and Ecological Risk Across Habitats in Mount Rainier Na7onal Park
Climate change alters biochemistry enhances conversion to methyl mercury through temp changes and changes in weing and drying pajerns alters distribu7on of species
NPS and Biodiversity Research Ins7tute
Declining Amphibians
• -Habitat Destruction • -Chemical
Contaminants • -Pathogens • -Climate Change • -UV-B Radiation • -Introduced Species
Chytridiomycosis (Batrachochytrium dendroba1dis (Bd)), is a major driver of amphibian declines and ex7nc7ons worldwide
Objec?ves 1. Rank the pond
breeding amphibians based on a calculated index of resistance to Bd.
2. Contrast this index for select species between popula7ons.
3. Contrast the occurrence, prevalence, and intensity of Bd infec7on between popula7ons.
Research
Modeling climate change effects on the hydrology of Pacific Northwest wetland ecosystems
develop hydrologic projec7ons for wetland habitats (forest wetlands, wet meadows, small ponds, riparian wetlands) to support ecological and landscape-‐based vulnerability assessments and climate adapta7on planning
Monitor Temperature and water level in wetland habitats Conduct visual surveys of wetlands to map/measure changes in pond depth & areal extent, and monitor amphibian occupancy
Bujerflies are sensi7ve indicators of climate change because temperature influences the 7ming of an individual’s life cycle and the geographic distribu7on of species. As individuals develop from egg to larvae to pupae and finally to mature bujerfly, temperature thresholds may trigger these changes.
Inventories are being conducted of bujerflies across our landscape
Permanent transects have been established to monitor changes in bujerfly abundance and species diversity. Volunteers record bujerfly abundances and plants in flower along each transect.
Cascades Bu[erfly Project
Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)
Pollinators of alpine and subalpine plant communi7es on Mount Rainier
document pollinator diversity and abundance and quan7fy how plant reproduc7ve success depends on pollinators
Pollinator visits will ensure that plants set seed and meadows con7nue to flower
Elinore J. Theobald Co-‐PI: Dr. Janneke HilleRisLambers Biology Department University of Washington
how will tree seedlings, such as this western hemlock, will be affected by climate change
TESTING THE LIMITS: EFFECTS OF CLIMATE & COMPETITION ON CONIFER DISTRIBUTIONS AT MT. RAINIER
Ailene Kane Einger, PhD Candidate Dr. Janneke HilleRisLabmers, Advisor Biology Department University of Washington
Phenology and Climate Change
Predicted climate changes (temp, snowmelt, precip) will affect the phenology (i.e. 7ming of biological life events) of subalpine wildflower species, which could have implica7ons for the pollina7ng insects that rely on them
Examine the links between plant phenology (flowering) to microclimate variability (e.g. snow dura7on, temperature
Dr. Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Biology Department University of Washington
Predic?ng the effects of future climate change on the subalpine and alpine meadows of Pacific
Northwest Mountains
Snow disappears earlier from ridges (which are more likely to support patches of trees) than topographic depressions (which are more likely to support patches of meadow).
• meadows support seven of the 12 imperiled or rare plants in the park (including the two plant species endemic to Mount Rainier and the local area).
• meadows provide important habitat for wildlife such as mountain goats, white-‐tailed ptarmigans, hoary marmots and the American pika.
• the meadows are a popular des7na7on in the Park, with about 65% of visitors travelling to the meadows to view the wildflower displays.
1. assess the spa7al and temporal variability of BC deposited in Washington snow and glacier ice,
2. begin to assess the poten7al role of BC in accelera7ng snow and glacier melt
RESPONSE OF RIVER RUNOFF TO BLACK CARBON IN SNOW AND ICE IN WASHINGTON STATE