25
www.nps.gov
AdaptingtoClimateChangeObjectives:Bytheendofthisactivity,studentswillbeableto:
1. Identifybothnaturalandhuman-causedreasonsforclimatechange.
2. Identifythreekeyimpactsclimatechangewillhaveonwildlife.
3. Identifythreewaysinwhichwildlifemanagersareplanningforclimatechange.
4. Identifypotentialclimatechangeimpactsonlocalspeciesandcreateanactionplanforhelpingprotectthesespecies.
Background: TheEarth’sclimatehaschangedformillionsofyears,fluctuatingbetweeniceagesandperiodsofwarmertemperatures.NaturalcausesforclimatechangeincludechangesinthetiltoftheEarth’saxis,changesinthereflectivityoftheEarth’ssurface,changesinthesun’senergyreachingEarth,volcanicactivity,andnaturalchangesingreenhousegases.Thesechangesoccuroverthousandsofyears. Thesenaturalfactorscancontributetobothglobalwarmingandclimatechange,whicharedifferentthings.GlobalwarmingreferstotheaverageincreaseintemperatureacrosstheentireEarth’ssurface.Thereareotherfactorscontributingtowarming,butoneofthemainfactorsischangesingreenhousegasses(seeNaturalGreenhouseEffectinthediagrambelow).GreenhousegasesactasablanketovertheEarth,trappingthermalradiationmuchlikeablankettrapsourbodyheattokeepuswarm.Wecallthisphenomenonthegreenhouseeffect
becausetheatmosphereactsmuchlikeagreenhousedoes,trappingthesun’sradiationandkeepingtheplanetwarm.Whenthesun’sradiationtravelstoEarth,mostofitisabsorbedbytheEarth.Someofthisradiationisreleasedbackintotheatmosphere,andsomeofitistrappedbygreenhousegases,andthenre-radiatedinalldirectionsfurtherwarmingtheplanet.Withoutthegreenhouseeffect,theEarthwouldbemuchtoocoldforusandmostother
livingorganismstosurvive.Therearefourmaingreenhousegases–watervapor,carbondioxide,methane,andnitrousoxide.Watervaporisthemostabundantgasbutonlystaysintheatmosphereforashortamount
Contentareas:Science,socialstudiesNCEssentialStandards:6.L.2.3,7.E.1.1,7.E.1.2,7.E.1.6,8.E.1.4,8.L.3.1Commoncore:R1,R3,R8,S&L1,S&L4,W1NGSS:MS-ESS2.A,MS-ESS2C,ESS2.D,MS-ESS3.C,MS-ESS3.D,MS-LS2.A,MS-LS2.C,MS-ETS1.B.Materials:o Expertcards(onesetper
homegroup)o Studentsheets(oneper
student)o Speciescards(onespecies
perhomegroup)o ChartpaperActivityTime:OneclassperiodSetting:Classroom
26
oftime(afewdays).Carbondioxideisthenextmostabundantandstaysintheatmosphereforthelongestamountoftime(30-100years).Methaneisabouttentimesbetterattrappingheatthancarbondioxide,butitdissipatesfaster(abouttenyears)andislessabundant.Nitrousoxideistheleastabundantgreenhousegasandtrapsalmost300timesmoreheatthancarbondioxideandstaysintheatmosphereforaround100years.1Greenhousegasesarereleasedintotheatmospherebynaturalprocesses.Astheseprocesseschangeoverthousandsofyears,therearetimeswhentherearemoregreenhousegassesintheatmosphere.Whenthishappens,theheattrappingcapacityoftheatmosphereincreases,andtheaveragetemperatureacrosstheEarthincreases(globalwarming).Globalwarmingisoneofthefactorsthatcancauseglobalclimatechange.Climatechangereferstoanysignificantchangeinmeasuresofclimateforanygivenlocationlastingforanextendedperiodoftime.Thisincludesmajorchangesintemperatures,precipitation,orwindpatterns,amongothersthatoccuroverseveraldecadesorlonger.Thesamechangescanalsobeconsideredglobally,andthisisglobalclimatechange.Globallyaveragedincreaseintemperaturesimpactsmanyglobalprocesses.Increasedtemperaturesimpactglobalweatherpatterns,suchasamountsandtimingofprecipitationandfrequencyandintensityofofsevereweathersuchasthunderstorms,hurricanes,andwinterstorms.Warmingcanalsomeltglaciersandpolaricecaps,whichcausessealevelstoriseandoceancurrentstochange.2 Althoughnaturalfactorscontributetoglobalwarmingandinturn,climatechange,recentwarminghasoccurredfasterthaneverrecordedinthepast.Changesoverthelast100yearsandthoseexpectedinthenext100yearscanbeattributedlargelytohumanactivities.3Sincetheindustrialrevolution,wehaveusedfossilfuelslikeoil,coal,andnaturalgastopowerourhomesandbusinesses,fuelourcarsandothertransportationsystemsforfoodandcommerce,andsupportlifeasweknowit.Wenowunderstandwitha95%confidencelevelthatthereleaseofgreenhousegasesbyhumanactivitiesinthisshorttimeperiodisthemaincauseoftherecentwarmingtrendsweareseeingandexpecttoseecontinueintothefuture.2Whenweburnfossilfuels,theyreleasegreenhousegases,enhancingthegreenhouseeffect.4IcecoredatademonstratesthatCO2levelsvariedbetween180and270partspermillionoverthemillionyearsprecedingtheindustrialrevolution,andthenrapidlyclimbedto400partspermillionby2013.5Althoughotheractivitieslikeraisinglivestockandenergyproduction(e.g.,naturalgasleakswhenproducingandrefiningoil)canreleasemethaneandnitrousoxidewhichhavemoreheattrappingpotential,carbondioxidemakesup82%ofgreenhousegasemissionsandremainsintheatmosphereforuptoacentury.Thehighconcentrationofcarbondioxidepairedwithitslongatmosphericlifetimemakesitatargetformanyeffortstoreduceourcontributionstoglobalwarming.InternationaltreatiesandmeetingsliketheKoyotoProtocolandUNSummitonClimateChangehavebeguntohelpcountriesworktogethertoreducecarbonemissions.Technologicaladvanceslikemorefuel-efficientcars,EnergyStarappliances,andalternativeenergysourcesarealsohelpingreduceouremissions.Theseeffortsbyindividuals,communities,andcountriesareencouraging.Asmentionedabove,sealevelriseandincreasedoccurrenceoffloodsanddroughtshavebeenobserved.6Becauseweareseeingsomeclimatechangeimpactsalready,itisalsoimportantthatwefocusonresiliency,orensuringourabilitytothriveinachangingclimate. Climatechangeisalsoaffectingwildlife,andweexpecttoseeevenmoreimpactsinthefuture.Learningabouttheseimpactshelpswildlifemanagersmakesurethatwildlifeisalsoresilient–abletosurviveandthriveinachangingclimate.Threemaineffectsthatwillhavebigimpactsonwildlifearechanginghabitats,sealevelrise,andshiftsinthetimingofseasons.7IntheAppalachianMountains,warmerregionaltemperaturesarethreateningthespruce-firforestsystems.Theseforestsgenerallyoccurabove4,500feetinelevationbecausetheyneedcooltemperaturestosurvive.TheseforestsystemsoccurinNorthernstates,butastemperaturesrise,theymaydisappearfromNorthCarolina.Severalspeciesofwildlifedependonthesehabitats,soifthespruce-firforestscannotsurviveinNorthCarolina,neithercanthewildlifethatlivesthere.8Sealevelrisedirectlythreatensbeachandmarshhabitats,astheymaybefloodedbyseawaterorerodedbystormsurges.9Aswestarttoexperiencewarmerandshorterwinters,thetimingofeventssuchasflowerandleafemergenceandmigrationpatternsareshifting.Sincenotallplantsandanimalsareshiftingtheirpatterns
27
insync,thiscancauseproblems.Oneexampleistherelationshipbetweenwintermothsandoakbudburst
timing.Wintermothsemergeinearlywinterandlaytheireggsintreecanopies.Theeggsgettheircuesfrom
thelengtheningspringdaysandemergeastheoakbudburstbegins.Iftheyhatchbeforetheoakbudburst,
theystarve.Iftheyhatchafterbudburst,thecaterpillarswillhavetoeatless-digestibleleaves.Sinceoak
leavestaketheircuesfromwarmingtemperatures,warmerspringsmeanthatoaktreesareleafingearlierin
theyear.Becausemothstaketheircuesfromlengtheningdaysandoakstaketheircuesfromtemperature,a
warmerspringcanmeancaterpillarshatchafteroakbudburst,makingitharderforthemtogetenoughto
eat.10
Wildlifemanagersareworkinghardtoprotectwildlifefromtheseimpacts.Wildlifemanagerscan
reduceriskstowildlifeandprotecttheabilityofwildlifetofollowtheirhabitatasclimatechangemakesit
move(e.g.,upamountainorinlandfromtheocean).Habitatdestruction,fragmentationanddegradation,
disease,invasivespecies,andothersthreatsalsoputwildlifepopulationsatrisk.Byworkingtodiminishthe
effectsoftheseotherthreatsandensuringhealthyhabitatdoesexist,managerscanhelpwildlifepopulations
bemoreresilienttoclimatechange.Adaptivemanagementisastrategyinwhichmanagerscontinuallygather
dataonwildlifeandhabitats.Theyusedatatoseeifactionstheytakemakepositivechangesforwildlifelike
improvingsurvivalorreproductionrates.Becausetheycontinuouslycollectdata,theycantestoutnew
actionsifoldonesarenotmakingwildlifepopulationsmoreresilienttoclimatechange.Wildlifemanagers
needhelp,andoftenworkwithothergroupsusingcollaboration,citizenscienceandeducationefforts.
Educationandpublicoutreachnotonlyhelpwildlifemanagersdotheirjobs;theyhelpensureweareall
preparedwiththeknowledgeandawarenesstodoourpartprotectingwildlife.
Gettingready:1. Preparegroupingassignments.Studentsshouldbeassignedtoa“home”group.Eachhomegroup
shouldhaveatleastsixstudents.EachstudentinahomegroupshouldbeassignedaletterA-F,which
willbeusedtoplacestudentsin“expert”groupsduringtheactivity.
2. Makeenoughcopiesofexpertcards(A-F)soeachstudentinanexpertgrouphasacopyoftheirtopic.
3. Makeenoughcopiesofthe“AdaptingtoClimateChange”studentsheetforeachgrouptohaveone.
4. MakeenoughcopiesofSpeciesCards(AppendixA)sothateachstudentinahomegrouphasacopyof
theirassignedspecies.
Procedure:1. Reviewwiththeclasskeytopicsfrompreviouslessons:
a. Weatherandclimatebothaffectwildlife.
b. Regionalclimatedeterminestheamountandtimingofprecipitationandtemperature,which
affectsthevegetationandwildlifethatcanliveinanarea.
2. Discusswithstudentsthattheclimateischanging.Discusshowtheclimatechangesduetoboth
naturalcauses(e.g.,volcanicactivity,tiltingoftheEarth)andhumanactivities(emissionsof
greenhousegases).Brieflyexplaintheconceptofgreenhousegases.Therearefourmaingases(water
vapor,carbondioxide,methane,andnitrousoxide)thatactasablanketinouratmosphere.Eachof
thesehasadifferentheattrappingpotentialandlifetimeintheatmosphere.Withoutanygreenhouse
gases,itwouldbetoocoldforlifetosurviveonEarth.However,ifwehavetoomuchgreenhouse
gasesintheatmosphere,theEarthwarms.Oneofthemostcommonsourcesofgreenhousegasesis
burningfossilfuels(gasolineforourcars,coalforourpowerplants,etc.).Thisreleasescarbondioxide,
whichhasoneofthelowerheattrappingpotentials.However,carbondioxidestaysintheatmosphere
foralongtimeandmakesup82%ofgreenhousegasemissions,whichiswhyitismostoftentargeted
asawaytoreduceourimpactonglobalwarming.Risingglobaltemperaturesarecausingchangesto
28
regionalclimatesworldwide.
3. Explainthattoday’sactivitywillexploresomeoftheimpactsthatclimatechangewillhaveonwildlife
andsomeofthewaysmanagersandcitizenscanhelpprotectthesewildlife.
4. Organizethestudentsintogroupsofsix.Thiswillbestudents’homegroups.Assigneachgroup
memberaletterA-F.Nowaskstudentstoreorganizeintogroupsbasedontheirletters.Thiswillbe
students’expertgroups.Eachexpertgroupwilllearnaboutoneofthefollowingtopics.
A. SealevelriseB. Transforminghabitats
C. Changingseasonalcues
D. Adaptivemanagement
E. Collaboration
F. Habitatconservationandrestoration
5. Giveeachexpertgroupcopiesoftheinformationsheetoftheirtopic(oneforeachstudent).
6. Giveeachexpertgroup10minutestoreadoverthesheet,askquestionsofoneanother,discussthe
keyquestions,andpreparetoreportouttootherstudents.
7. Nowhavestudentsreturntotheirhomegroups.Thereshouldbeatleastoneexpertforeachtopic
presentineachhomegroup.
8. Haveeachexpertreportoutontheirfindingstotheirhomegroupmembers.
9. Assigneachhomegrouponespecies(fromAppendixA).Eachgroupmembershouldhaveacopyof
thespeciescardforthespeciesassignedtotheirgroup.
10. Havegroupmembersworkthroughthestudentsheet“AdaptingtoClimateChange”tobrainstorm
waysinwhichclimatechangemayimpacttheirspeciesaswellasstrategiesthatwildlifemanagersand
communitiesmayusetohelpprotectthisspecies.
11. Askstudentstorecordtheirplanonchartpapertopresenttotheclass.
Discussionandassessment1. Attheendofclass,havestudentspresenttheriskstotheirspeciesaswellasaplanforaction.Iftime
permits,havestudentscreateaposterorothervisualpresentation.
2. Considerhavingstudentscreateformalpresentationsandinvitecommunitymemberstothe
presentation.
Extensions1. Invitearepresentativefromyourstate’swildlifeagencytocomespeakwithyourclassaboutwhathe
orshedoes,theroletheagencyplaysincaringforwildlife,anddiscussionsaroundhowtoplanfor
climatechange.
2. Checkwithyourwildlifeagencyforclasses,workshops,andotherresources.
3. Havestudentswriteanargumentdefendingtheiractionplanchoice.
29
Sourcesandotherresources1USEPA.(2014).NitrousOxideEmissions.RetrievedDecember03,2014,from
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html2NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration.(2014).ClimateChange:VitalSignsofthePlanet:Howdoweknow?GlobalClimate
Change:VitalSignsofthePlanet.RetrievedOctober27,2014,fromhttp://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ 3IPCC.(2014).SummaryforPolicyMakers.InO.Edenhofer,R.Pichs-Madruga,Y.Sokona,E.Farahani,S.Kadne,K.Seyboth,…J.C.
Minx(Eds.),ClimateChange2014,MitigationofClimateChange.Cambraige,U.K.andN.Y.,USA:CambridgeUniversityPress.
(alsoseethisvideosummarizingthereport:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnUXqhMS2bo)4USEPAClimateChangeDivision.(2014).GreenhouseGasEmissions:GreenhouseGasesOverview.Retrievedfrom
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases.html5NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration.(2014).IceCore|NationalClimaticDataCenter(NCDC).RetrievedNovember
03,2014,fromhttp://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data/datasets/ice-core6NationalClimateAssessment.(2014).RetrievedNovember21,2014,fromhttp://nca2014.globalchange.gov/
7NationalFish,WildlifeandPlantsAdaptationPartnership.(2012).NationalFish,WildlifeandPlantsClimateAdaptationStrategy.
AssociationofFishandWildlifeAgencies,CouncilonEnvironmentalQuality,GreatLakesIndianFishandWildlifeCommission,
NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration,andU.S.FishandWildlifeService.Washington,DC.Retrievedfrom
http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/pdf/NFWPCAS-Final.pdf8NorthCarolinaWildlifeResourcesComission.(2014).Spruce-FirtForestinSouthernBlueRidgeMountains.Retrievedfrom
http://www.southernhighlandsreserve.org/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=125485&A=SearchResult&SearchID=387429&ObjectID
=125485&ObjectType=69NationalWildlifeFederation.(2014).GlobalWarmingImpactsonEstuariesandCoastalWetlands.RetrievedOctober27,2014,
fromhttp://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Estuaries-and-
Coastal-Wetlands.aspx10Visser,M.E.,&Holleman,L.J.(2001).Warmerspringsdisruptthesynchronyofoakandwintermothphenology.ProceedingsBof
theRoyalSociety,268(1464),289–94.doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1363
30
http://www.ecu.edu/renci/focus/SeaLevelRise.html
ExpertCards
A:Sealevelrise
Asaverageglobaltemperaturesrise,glaciers
andpolaricecapsaremelting.Thewaterthatwas
previouslytrappedonlandflowsintotheocean
raisingoceanlevels.Also,aswaterwarms,it
expands.Thisexpansionistoosmallforusto
observewithoureyes,butwhenyouconsiderallthe
waterinalltheoceans,evenalittleexpansioncan
leadtoabigchange.Bothincreasesinwaterinthe
oceanfrommeltingglaciersandtheexpanding
volumeofallwaterintheoceancontributetothe
risingsealevelsweareexperiencing.Becauseofthe
topographyoftheshorelines,notallareasare
experiencingsealevelriseatthesamerate.InNorthCarolina,wehaveexperiencedabout
onefootinsealevelrisesince1930,andweexpect
abouttwotothreeadditionalfeetinthenext100
years.
Alongcoastlines,sealevelrisecanhavebig
impactsonwildlife.Astheoceanrises,itcanerode
beachesandfloodsaltwatermarshes.Also,higher
waterlevelsmeanthatstormsurgesfromhurricanes
orotherstrongstormscancreatemoreflooding.
Higherwaterlevelandmorefloodingcandamage
nestingsitesforwildlifelikethepipingplover,sea
turtle,ordiamondbackterrapin.Therisingsaltwater
canalsoincreasethesalinityinareasthatcontain
brackishwater(amixofsaltandfreshwater).The
changingsalinitycanchangewhichtypesof
vegetationcansurviveandgrowinthenewsaltier
marshes.Normally,assealevelsrise,marsheswould
simplymovefurtherinland.However,thismaynot
happeninsomeplacesbecauseagriculturallands,
housing,andbusinesseswillformbarrierstothe
naturalinlandmovement.Thismaymeanthesehabitatsandthewildlifethatlivetherehave
nowheretogo.
Pipingploversnestinsandydunesand
beaches.
PhotobyU.S.Fish&WildlifeService
http://www.fws.gov/
31
KeyQuestions:
Discussthesequestionswithyourgroupmembers:
1. Wildlifeusecoastalwetlandsasshelter,nestingsites,andplacestofindfood.Many
coastalwetlandsarebrackish,meaningtheyarepartsaltwaterandpartfreshwater.This
mediumsalinitysupportsspecificplantsthatgrowinthesewetlands.Howmightsealevel
riseaffectcoastalwetlandhabitatsandthewildlifethatlivethere?
2. Whensealevelsrise,howmightthatchangewhathappensduringhurricanes?Howwill
thataffectbarrierislandsandcoastalhabitats?
Defenders of Wildlife. (2010). Understanding the impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife in North Carolina. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/executive_summary_understanding_the_impacts_of_climate_change_on_fish
32
B:TransforminghabitatsRegionalclimateincludestheaveragerainfallandtemperaturesinanarea.With
climatechange,precipitationpatternsandtemperaturenormsmaychange.Partofthis
meansthatwetareasmaybecomewetter
(morerainfall)anddrierareasmaybecome
drier.Extremeweathermayalsoincrease,
meaningmorefloodsanddroughts.Overall,
weexpecttemperaturestorise,whichwill
meanhigherairandwatertemperatures.
IntheAppalachianmountains,these
changingclimateconditionscanmean
changestosomeecosystems.Inthe
mountains,highertemperaturesmaymean
warmerstreamwatersandhigherlevelsof
rainfallmaycausefloodinganderosion
whichcanclogupstreams.Warmerwater
holdslessoxygen,whichmeansourstreams
cannotsupportasmuchlife.Streamswithtoomuchsedimentcanbecomeclogged,fillin
gravelbottomswithmud,andchangethehabitatavailabletofishandotheraquaticlifetolay
eggsandfindfood.Highertemperaturesmaypushcertainvegetationspeciesfurthernorth,
suchasthespruce-firforestsofNorthCarolina.WildlifesuchastheNorthernflyingsquirrel
dependonthesespecifictypesofforests.Asspruce-firforestsdisappearfromNorthCarolina,
thewildlifethatlivestheremaybeabletofollowthemastheyshiftnorthward.However,
barrierssuchashighwaysorurbanareasmaymakeitdifficultforwildlifetofollowthese
habitatsastheyshiftnorthward.
Inotherareasofthecountry,suchastheAmericanWestandMidwest,weexpect
highertemperaturesandlowerprecipitationlevels.Thesewarmer,drierconditionscould
meanlowerstreamlevelsforWesternsalmonandtrout,disappearanceofMidwestern
wetlandsthatwaterfowlusefornestingsites.
Spruce-firforestonClingmansDomeinNorthCarolina
PhotobyBrianStansberryAppvoices.org
33
Below,you’llfindmapsthatprojectthechangesintemperatureandprecipitationwe
expectoverthenext100yearsinNorthCarolina.Asyoucansee,thechangesintemperature
andprecipitationarebrokendownbyseason.Winterandfallareexpectedtobearound4-6
degreeswarmerandsummerisexpectedtobeabout5.5-8degreeswarmer.Precipitation
mayriseacrossallseasons,butmoresointhewinter.Inthespring,thecoastmayseeless
rainfall.
KeyQuestions:
Discussthesequestionswithyourgroupmembers:
1. Thinkbacktopreviousactivities.Howdoyouthinkchangingprecipitationandtemperaturepatternsmightaffectvegetation?Howmightthisaffectwildlife?
2. WhatkindsofwildlifeliveinNCrivers?Howmighttheybeaffectedbyfloodsor
droughts?Warmertemperatures?
Defenders of Wildlife. (2010). Understanding the impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife in North Carolina. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/executive_summary_understanding_the_impacts_of_climate_change_on_fish_and_wildlife_in_north_carolina.pdf
34
C:ChangingseasonalcuesBecausemanyplantsandwildlifetakecuesfromchangesintheseasons,warming
temperaturesmaymeanshiftsinwhenwildlifedothingslikelayeggsandhibernate.
Problemsarisewhennotallspecieschangeatthesamerate,creatingamismatchofwildlife
needsandresourcesavailable.
Snowshoeharesaremastersofcamouflage.Theircoatsarewhiteinthewinterto
blendinwiththesnow,andin
thesummer,theircoatdarkens
tomatchtheforestvegetation.
Theygettheircuesforthecoat
changebythelengtheningdays
ofspring.Lately,however,
springhasbeencomingearlier.
Temperaturesriseandmelt
thesnowbeforethedays
lengthenenoughtogivethe
snowshoehareitscueto
changecoats.Asaresult,the
whitewintercoatsstickoutagainstthebrownbrushrevealedbythemeltingsnow.Theloss
ofcamouflagemakestheharesmucheasiertospotbypredators.
Warmertemperaturesalsotriggerbirdstomigrate.Birdsspendthewintergathering
energyandtimetheirmigrationnorthsotheycanreachtheirsummerrangeandlayeggs
whenthemostfoodisavailableforfeedingchicks.Somebirdshavealreadybegunto
respondtoearlierarrivalofspringbymigratingearlier.Thisisnotthecaseforallbirds,
however.Thosethatarenotshiftingtheirmigrationpatternsinsyncwithearlierspring
arrivalsseemtobereachingtheirNorthernbreedinggroundsalittletoolatetotimethe
hatchingoftheiryoungwithpeakfoodavailability.Thisseasonalmismatchhasbeen
documentedinseveralbirdspeciesinEuropesuchasthepiedflycatcher.
Snowshoeharesarebrowninthesummertoblendinwiththesurrounding
vegetationandtheirwhitecoatsletthemblendinwiththesnowinthewinter.
Ifsnowsmeltbeforethehareschangecolors,thewhiteharesareeasytospot.
PhotobyL.S.Millsresearchteam.
http://www.npr.org/
35
KeyQuestions:
Discussthesequestionswithyourgroupmembers:
1. Wildlifedependonseasonalcuesforlotsofthings.Thechangingoftheseasonscues
birdstomigrate,somespeciestocomeoutofhibernation,andmanyanimalstobegin
breeding.Whatotherspeciesdependonseasonalcuesforpartoftheirlifecycle?
2. Howmightthesespeciesbeaffectedbychangingseasonalcues?
Saino,Nicola,etal."Climatewarming,ecologicalmismatchatarrivalandpopulationdeclineinmigratorybirds."Proceedingsof
theRoyalSocietyB:BiologicalSciences278.1707(2011):835-842.
Stenseth,N.C.,&Mysterud,A.(2002).Climate,changingphenology,andotherlifehistorytraits:nonlinearityandmatch-
mismatchtotheenvironment.ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica,99(21),
13379–81.doi:10.1073/pnas.212519399
36
Adaptivemanagementprocesswww.doi.gov
D:AdaptiveManagement
Theadaptivemanagementprocessof
assessingaproblem,designingaplan,
implementingaplan,monitoringimpacts,
evaluatingresults,andadjustingtheplanforms a
circularpatterninwhichthemanagementplan is
adaptable(seefigure).Thisapproachis
importantwhenincomplexsystemsthatare
difficulttopredictperfectly.Theclimatesystem is
incrediblycomplex,makingithardtopredict
exactlywhatwillhappenorhowwildlifewill
respond.Scientistsarebecomingmore
confidentintheirpredictions,butwedonot
knowexactlyhowclimatechangewillaffect
wildlife.Thisuncertaintycanmakeithardforwildlifemanagerstoplanforthefuture.
Oneimportantstrategyformakingsureweareabletoprotectwildlifeinanuncertain
futureisapracticecalledadaptivemanagement.Usingadaptivemanagement,managerstest
theplanstheyimplementandchangethemwhenobjectivesarenotbeingmet.After
implementingaplan,theycollectdatatoseeifitisworking.OneexampleisthePlattRiver
RecoveryImplementationPrograminWyoming,ColoradoandNebraska.Thegoalofthe
programistoincreasepopulationsofinteriorleastterns,pipingplovers,whoopingcranesand
pallidsturgeons.Managershavedevelopedtwostrategiestorestoreriverhabitat.One
involvesalteringtheriverpathwaystorestorehistoricflowpatternsandonedoesnot.
Managersdonotknowwhichstrategywillworkbest.Byusingadaptivemanagement,
managerscantryeachstrategyindifferentareas,collectdataonthefourspecies,andadjust
theplantoincludemoreofthestrategythatisworkingbetter.Iftheplanisnothelping
addressobjectives(here,increasingpopulationsofthefourtargetspecies),theychangetheir
plansandtryagain.Adaptivemanagementrequiresgatheringlargeamountsofdataand
spendinglotsoftimedecidingwhattodo.Itcanbeexpensiveandtimeconsuming,butitwill
likelybeanimportantstrategytoprotectingwildlifeaswestarttoseetheimpactsofclimate
changeincrease.Wildlifeagenciesarebeginningtoreachouttootherpartnerslikecitizen
sciencegroups(seeinformationinExpertgroupE)tohelpmaintainup-to-datedataonthe
healthofourwildlife.Thesenetworksofbothcitizensandscientistscanhelpspreadoutthe
bigjobofunderstandinghowwildlifearerespondingtoclimatechange.
37
KeyQuestions:Discussthesequestionswithyourgroupmembers:
1. Whymightadaptivemanagementbebetterthanmakingasingledecision?
2. Whymightadaptivemanagementbemorechallengingthanmakingasingledecision?
3. Howmightmanagersuseadaptivemanagementtohelpprotectspeciesfromclimate
changeimpacts?
DefendersofWildlife.(2010).UnderstandingtheimpactsofclimatechangeonfishandwildlifeinNorthCarolina.Washington,DC.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/executive_summary_understanding_the_impacts_of_climate_change_o
n_fish_and_wildlife_in_north_carolina.pdf
Runge,M.C.(2011).AnIntroductiontoAdaptiveManagementforThreatenedandEndangeredSpecies.JournalofFishandWildlife
Management,2(2),220–233.doi:10.3996/082011-JFWM-045
38
E:CollaborationandEducation
Conservingwildlifeinthefaceofclimatechangeisabigjob,andwildlifemanagers
cannotdoitontheirown.Conservingwildlifewillbeeasierifmanagersreachouttopartners
likeresearchersandconservationorganizationsandworktoensurelocal,state,andfederal
agenciesworktogether.Researcherscanhelpprovidemanagerswiththedatatheyneedto
makedecisions.Conservationorganizationslikelandtrustsandwildlifenon-profit
organizationsalsoworktoconservehabitat
andwildlifeandcanlikelyhelpwithmonitoring
efforts.Makingsurelocal,state,andfederal
agenciesworktogetherwillhelpmanagers
“divideandconquer.”Forinstance,biologists
acrosstheNortheastareworkingtogetherto
trackshorebirdhabitat.Becauseshorebirds
liketheTuftedPuffinhaverangesthatare
biggerthanindividualagenciesorrefuges,
biologistscangetamorecompletepictureof
howshorebirdsarerespondingtoclimate
changeandmakethebestconservationplans
possible.
Anotherkeypartnerforwildlife
managersarecitizens.Inrecentdecades,
citizenscienceprojectshavebecomemorecommon,inwhichordinarycitizenscollectdata
thatscientistsuse.Theseprojectsallowscientiststocollectmuchmoredatathantheywould
beabletoontheirownaswellasinvolvecitizensinongoingresearch.Forexample,the
ChristmasbirdcountrunbytheAudubonSocietyfrommid-DecemberthroughearlyJanuary
providesahugedatasetonmigratorybirdpatterns,fromwhichscientistscanbetter
understandwhichbirdsaremovingwhereandwhen.Tensofthousandsofparticipantslogin
totheAudubonSocietywebsitefrommid-DecembertoearlyJanuarytoreportnamesand
locationsofthemigratorybirdsspottedintheirarea.Thisprojectprovidesornithologists
valuabledataonwheremigratorybirdsaretravelingandwhen.Projectslikethesenotonly
helpcollectdatabuttheyalsoengagethepublicinconservationefforts.Engagementisan
importantsteptoensureeveryoneisworkingtogethertowardsclimatechangesolutionsand
makingwildlifemoreresilient.Resiliencyreferstotheabilityforwildlifetothriveinspiteof
climatechange-relatedimpacts.Therearelotsofwayswecanallhelpwildlife,andthrough
educationandoutreach,wildlifemanagerscanhelpusunderstandhow.
Warmertemperaturescannegativelyaffect
nestingsitesforTuftedpuffins.Byworking
together,managersacrosstheNortheast
cankeepaneyeonthepuffinanduse
insightsforconservationplanning.http://www.eopugetsound.org/
39
KeyQuestions:Discussthesequestionswithyourgroupmembers:
1. Whywouldwildlifemanagerswanttopartnerwithresearchersandneighboring
agenciestomonitorhowclimatechangemaybeaffectingwildlife?Whatkindsof
researchdoyouthinkwouldbemosthelpfulinyourarea?
2. Whataresomewaysthatyoucouldhelplearnaboutclimatechangeimpactson
wildlife?
DefendersofWildlife.(2010).UnderstandingtheimpactsofclimatechangeonfishandwildlifeinNorthCarolina.Washington,DC.Retrievedfromhttp://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/executive_summary_understanding_the_impacts_of_climate_change_on_fish_and_wildlife_in_north_carolina.pdf
40
F:Habitatconservationandrestoration
Climatechangeisnottheonlythingthreateningwildlife.Urbanization,deforestation,
invasivespecies,pollution,anddiseasearealsoposingarisktowildlifeandtheirhabitats.
Protectingwildlifefromtheseotherthreats
willhelpmakethemmoreresilienttorisks
fromclimatechange.Resiliencyreferstothe
abilityforwildlifetothriveinspiteofclimate
change-relatedimpacts.Forinstance,healthy
wetlandssupportavarietyofwildlife,butthey
alsohelpcoolwater,reducesedimentfrom
run-off,andcontrolflooding.Restoringone
hectareofwetlandcantranslatetoasmuchas
$33,000insavingspreventingstormdamage.
WhenHurricaneKatrinahittheGulfCoastin
2005,areaswiththemostrobustwetlands
experiencedlessflooding,andunprotected
areaslikeNewOrleansweredecimatedby
unprecedentedfloods.Althoughitisdifficult
topointtoclimatechangeasthecauseofanyonestormevent,scientistsexpecttoseean
increaseinthefrequencyandseverityofstormsinassociationwithglobalwarming.
Protectingandrestoringwetlandhabitatscanprotectthewildlifethatlivesthereandmake
thoseareasmoreresilienttoclimatechangeimpacts.
Anotherkeystrategyispreservingwildlifecorridors,orareasthatconnectdifferent
areasofwildlifehabitat.Astemperaturesrise,weexpectforwildlifehabitatsand
populationstoshifttowardsthepolesandtohigherelevations.Ifwildlifetrytomovefrom
currentrangesandfindbarrierscreatedbyurbanareas,highways,ordams,theymaynotbe
abletoshifttheirrangesinresponsetowarmingtemperatures.Byprotectingwildlife
corridors,theseshiftsaremorepossible.
Besidesprotectingwildlifeandhabitats,effortstoimproveandrestoreexisting
habitatscanalsohelpwildlife.Continuingwiththeexamplefromthegulfcoast,several
restorationseffortsarewellunderwaytorestorewetlandandmangroveecosystemsthat
willreducethetypeofdamagecausedbyHurricaneKatrina.Oneofthemostfamous
examplesisonAveryIsland,wheretheTabascoSauceplantislocated.AfterKatrina,
Tabascoorchestratedamassiverestorationoftheentireisland,whichnowsupportsahost
ofwetlandwildlifeandisthesiteofaparkforvisitorstoenjoy.Notonlyistheparkserving
animportantecologicalandculturalrolenow,butthisrestorationmayhelpprotectthe
factoryfromfuturefloodingevents.
Volunteersworkingtorestorewetlandhabitats
www.carolinasalt.com
41
KeyQuestions:Discussthesequestionswithyourgroupmembers:
1. Whyareconservationandrestorationeffortsespeciallyimportantinthefaceof
climatechange?
2. Whatkindsofhabitatrestorationprojectswouldbenefityourstateasclimate
changes?
Costanza, R., Pérez-Maqueo, O., Martinez, M. L., Sutton, P., Anderson, S. J., & Mulder, K. (2008). The value of coastal wetlands for hurricane protection. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 37(4), 241-248.
42
AdaptingtoClimateChange
StudentSheet
Name:___________________________________
Speciesyourgroupisworkingwith:__________________________
1. Whatarethreemajorclimatechangeimpactsthatwilllikelyaffectwildlife?
2. Whichoftheseimpactswillmostlikelyaffectyourspecies?Giveatleastthreespecificwaysclimate
changemayimpactyourspecies.
3. Whatarethreemajorstrategiestohelpwildlifeadapttoclimatechangeimpacts?
4. Whichstrategiesdoyouthinkwillbemostimportanttoyourspecies?
Attheendofclass,yourgroupwillassumetheroleofwildlifemanagers.Bepreparedtopresenttotherestof
thegroupthespecificthreatsyourspeciesmightexperienceandwhy.Then,proposeaplanofactionto
protectthisspecies.
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ClimateImpactsandAdaptationstrategiesTeachersnotes
PossibleanswerstoKeyQuestionsonthebackoftheexpertcards:
TransformingHabitats:
1. Shiftingtemperatureandprecipitationnormscanchangethetypesofvegetationthatareinanarea.
EventhoughNCisexpectedtohavemoreprecipitationoverall,itisprojectedtofallinconcentrated
times(floods,followedbydrierperiods).Warmertemperaturespairedwithdryspellscanmeansome
plantspeciescannotsurvive.Thisbecomesaproblemforwildlifeiftheydependonthosespeciesfor
foodorcover.
2. Examplesofspecies:hellbender,trout,Northernalligator.Floodingordroughtcanaffectaquatic
species(floodingcanwashawayeggsandfood,droughtcanleavewaterstoolowtosupportlife),
Warmertemperaturescanaffectoxygenlevelsinwater,affectingthewildlifethatlivesthere(e.g.,
trout,hellbender).Warmingwatertemperaturescanalsobegoodforsomespecies,liketheAmerican
alligators.Theymaybeabletogrowlargerandexpandtheirrangeaswaterwarms.
SeaLevelRise:
1. Changingsalinitymayaffectthetypesofvegetationthatcansurviveinthebrackishwater.Ifsalinity
changesenough,itmaybedetrimentaltomanywetlandplantspecies,whichcouldaffectfood,cover,
andnestingsitesforahostofmarshwildlife(marshrabbits,diamondbackterrapin,snowyegret).
2. Highersealevelsmightmeanthatstormsurgesarestronger,exacerbatingtheerosionofbeachesand
thefloodingofcoastalwetlands.Thismaygreatlyaffectthebarrierislands(theymaydisappear),and
thendrasticallychangecoastalwetlandhabitats.Intheory,coastalwetlandhabitatscouldjustmove
inlandassealevelsrise.However,sealevelrisemayhappenfasterthanthesehabitatscandevelopor
urbanoragriculturaldevelopmentmaypreventcoastalwetlandsfrommovinganyfurtherinland.
Changingseasonalcues
1. Anymigratingbirddependsonseasonalcuestobeginmigration.Otheranimalsfeaturedinthis
modulethatdependonseasonalcues:Marbledsalamander,Northernbobwhitequail,andEastern
wildturkey.Coolerfalltemperaturesandincreasedrainscuemarbledsalamanderstoheadtothe
vernalpoolstolaytheireggs.Lengtheningspringdayscuebothquailsandturkeystostartmating,
nesting,andlayingeggs.
2. Somebirdsseemtobeadaptingwelltoearliersprings,butothersarenotchangingtheirpatterns.
Mismatchesbetweenwhenbirdsmigrateandwhenfoodisavailablemayaffectsurvivalor
reproduction.
AdaptiveManagement
1. Adaptivemanagementinvolvesmonitoringandpartoftheplanislookingforandrespondingto
change.Singledecisionsmakearecommendationwithoutconsideringhowthingsmaychange.
Becauseclimatechangeinvolvesimpactsthatarecomplexandhardtopredict,anadaptiveapproach
maybemoreeffectiveatrespondingtoimpactsonwildlifeastheyhappen.
2. Adaptivemanagementmaybemorechallengingbecauseitrequiresconstantdatacollectionandre-
evaluation.It’srequiresmoretimeandresources.
3. Especiallywhenwedon’tknowhowspecieswillrespondtoclimatechange,wecanuseadaptive
managementtomakeaplanforwhatweknowandwhatwepredictwillhappen.Withmonitoring,we
canseeifourplanseemstobeworkingandreadjustifwethinkwecanmakeitbetterorifconditions
change.
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CollaborationandEducation
1. Collaborationcanhelpwildlifemanagersgetthehelptheyneed.Byworkingtogether,wecancollect
moredataoveragreaterarea.Becauseadaptivemanagementrequirelotsofdataandabigpicture
perspective,collaborationiskeytomakingsuremanagershavetheinformationtheyneedtomakethe
bestdecisionspossible.
2. Participatingincitizenscienceprojects,butalsodoingthingslikeworkingtoprotectthehabitatsthat
doexist(touchedoninthehabitatconservationandrestorationsection).
Habitatconservationandrestoration
1. Climatechangewillbringahostofimpactsthatwewillhaveahardtimecontrolling.But,byinvesting
inthingswecancontrollikehabitatconservationandrestoration,weincreasetheresiliencyof
wildlifethatareat-risk.
2. InNorthCarolina,wetlandconservationandrestorationwillbeimportanttoprotectbothwildlifeand
peopleagainstsealevelriseandstormsurges.Doingwhatwecantoprotecttemperaturesensitive
communitieslikethespruce-firforestsandotherkeyvegetationcommunitieswillalsohelpmakeother
ecosystemsandwildliferesilienttoclimatechangeimpacts.Additionally,preservingwildlifecorridors
willhelpensurethatwildlifeareabletomovefreelyasrangesbegintoshiftduetorising
temperatures.
StudentSheetanswers:
1. Threemajorrisks:
a. Changinghabitats
b. Sealevelrise
c. Changingseasoncues
2. Belowarewildlifespeciesthatlendthemselveswelltothisactivity:
WildlifeSpecies PotentialimpactsDiamondback
terrapin
Thebiggestthreatissealevelrise,whichcouldcompletelyfloodterrapinhabitat.
Especiallyastheterrapinarepinnedbetweentheoceanandsubstantialcoastal
development,theymayhavenowheretogoifsealevelsrise.Sealevelrisepaired
withmoreseverehurricanesmaybringbiggerstormsurges,whichbesides
destroyinghabitat,couldwashterrapinsfromwheretheyburrowinthemudflats
orwashawayfoodsources.Theymayalsobeaffectedbyrisingtemperatures
becausethesexratiosintheireggclutchesaredeterminedbytemperature.
Eastern
hellbender
Thebiggestthreattothehellbenderisthechangingforesthabitatsofthe
mountains,includinghighertemperaturesandincreasedrainfallintheformof
floodingevents.Higherairtemperaturescanincreasewatertemperatures,which
candecreasetheamountofoxygenavailableforthesegiantsalamanders.Paired
withlossofshadefromthedyinghemlocktrees,warmingwaterisarealconcern.
Floodingeventscanalsowashawayhellbendereggs,makingitmoredifficultfor
themtosuccessfullyreproduce.
American
alligator
Climatechangemaybenefitalligatorpopulationsinseveralways.Alligatorsare
ectothermic(cold-blooded),andwarmertemperaturesallowtheirmetabolismsto
workfaster.Warmerairandwatertemperaturesmayallowalligatorstoconvert
theirfoodtobodymassmorequickly,allowingthemtogrowmorequickly.Also,
alligatorscannotsurviveifwatergetstoocold.Aswatertemperaturesincrease,
45
alligatorsmaybeabletomovefurtherinlandandnorthward.
Northernflying
squirrel
Risingtemperaturesandmorefrequentdroughteventsthreatenthespruce-fir
forestsinNorthCarolina.Thesetypesofforestsexistfarthernorthward,butif
theydisappearfromNorthCarolina,sowilltheNorthernflyingsquirrelwhich
dependsonthemforfoodandraisingtheiryoung.Ifthisdoeshappen,the
squirrelswillonlybeabletofindsuitablehabitatfarthernorth,ifbarrierslikeroads
donotpreventthemfrommoving.
3. Threemajorstrategiesforprotectionfromimpacts:
a. Conservationandrestorationofhabitat
b. AdaptiveManagement
c. Collaboration
4. Forthisquestion,answersmayvarygreatly,andstudentsmaycomeupwithcreativeanswers.Any
andallofthesestrategiescouldapplytotheexamplespeciesabove.Coastalwetlandrestorationmay
beparticularlyimportantfortheterrapin,hemlockrestorationmayhelpoutthehellbender,
monitoringofalligatorscanbuildunderstandingofwheretheymaybeexpanding,andprotectionof
thespruce-firsystemwillconserveNorthernflyingsquirrelhabitatinNorthCarolina.Othermore
creativestrategiesmaybenecessary.Forinstance,wildlifemanagershaveattemptedtohelpflying
squirrelsbeabletomoveacrosshighwaysbyerectingtallpolesthatthesquirrelscanuseaslaunching
platformsforlongglidesneededtocrossroadways.