This
past week I researched how climate change will effect winter recreation in the
Adirondacks. While perusing through Adirondack Explorer articles I came across
another issue associated with the decline of snowfall due to global warming. In
Jenkins’ Climate Change in the
Adirondacks: The Path to Sustainability he states that a high-emission carbon
dioxide scenario with an overall climate increase of 10 degrees would eliminate
all potential for 10 weeks of uninterrupted snow. This essentially eradicates
all boreal animals’ habitat, which requires continuous snow cover for at least
10 weeks. A boreal community’s summer averages to 64 degrees, whereas an
Adirondack summer averages to 67 degrees. However, there are small communities
in the Adirondacks that reach lower temperatures and can be classified as
“boreal islands.”
According to Jenkins, there are 23 boreal bird species tied exclusively to these lowland environments that are in danger from climate change. Jenkins states more definitively, “At least three boreal birds that were formerly common and widespread in the Adirondacks have decreased sharply in the last 20 years, and are now increasingly rare and hard to find” (Jenkins 63). The continuation of the development of the Adirondacks further restricts boreal habitat.
The spruce grouse, found mostly in boggy, black spruce wetlands, is in a sharp decline, with only 75 to 100 remaining in New York State. They must stay in lowland regions because spruce grouse forage in the branches of trees. In the highlands, rime ice on branches and increased wind makes it difficult for spruce grouse to forage for spruce needles. The DEC plans to reintroduce the spruce grouse into already established regions and populations in the Adirondacks. Without this intervention, the DEC says that the spruce grouse could disappear by 2020. The DEC hopes to establish a more stable population of about 500 spruce grouse in the Adirondacks. But even with the reintroduction of more spruce grouse, will the climate change too much for them to be successful?
Related reads:
http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/02/the-disappearing-adirondack-spruce-grouse.htmlhttp://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2013/04/dec-plans-to-introduce-spruce-grouse.html
According to Jenkins, there are 23 boreal bird species tied exclusively to these lowland environments that are in danger from climate change. Jenkins states more definitively, “At least three boreal birds that were formerly common and widespread in the Adirondacks have decreased sharply in the last 20 years, and are now increasingly rare and hard to find” (Jenkins 63). The continuation of the development of the Adirondacks further restricts boreal habitat.
The spruce grouse, found mostly in boggy, black spruce wetlands, is in a sharp decline, with only 75 to 100 remaining in New York State. They must stay in lowland regions because spruce grouse forage in the branches of trees. In the highlands, rime ice on branches and increased wind makes it difficult for spruce grouse to forage for spruce needles. The DEC plans to reintroduce the spruce grouse into already established regions and populations in the Adirondacks. Without this intervention, the DEC says that the spruce grouse could disappear by 2020. The DEC hopes to establish a more stable population of about 500 spruce grouse in the Adirondacks. But even with the reintroduction of more spruce grouse, will the climate change too much for them to be successful?
Related reads:
http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/02/the-disappearing-adirondack-spruce-grouse.htmlhttp://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2013/04/dec-plans-to-introduce-spruce-grouse.html
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