Decline in Moose Population Due to Rising Temperatures

Over the last century, the climate has started to change in reaction to human population growth and industry. Growing CO2 emissions have caused global temperatures to rise, leading to a variety of effects on the environment. One of these is the noticeable decrease in moose populations. Between 1895 and 2011, average annual temperatures in the Northeast increased by almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are predicted to rise even faster this century, warming the environment an additional four and half to ten degrees by the 2080s. The warmer temperatures now occurring in the northern forests have allowed for the spread of winter ticks, a species that thrives during years of shorter winters and longer springs. These ticks prey on moose, bleeding them out until they die. 

Moose are developed to live in colder climates. The current rise in temperatures causes them expend more energy, increase their respiration rates, and makes them vulnerable to overheating. High temperatures also make moose more vulnerable to disease. With higher temperatures, the Adirondacks experience less snow during the winter. Moose are well adapted to survive in the deep snow, while deer avoid it to save energy during the cold winter months. If snow levels decrease, the two species’ ranges will overlap, and moose populations will become vulnerable to the diseases that deer carry. This includes the parasitic brain worm found in deer that is deadly to moose. While disease is one source of the decline in moose populations, the effects of the change in climate are complex and hard to track. It is hard to pin point one thing that has caused moose to die out. Their decline in numbers could be due to other interwoven effects such as pollution, invasive species, habitat fragmentation, and pests.

Rising temperatures threaten many other species in the Adirondacks. Bird populations, such as the Chickadee and Spruce Grouse have already started to adapt to the weather changes by changing their migratory patterns and places of habitat. Forest landscapes are already starting to change as well, as natural succession takes its course.  However, there are some positive aspects to the change in climate. Over the next few centuries, the biomass of northeastern forests is expected to double. New tree species will come in to replace to old ones. Just as it always does, the environment will adapt to the changes it experiences.  We are beginning to see these changes, which can be viewed as both beneficial and harmful to our community. As humans continue to impact the environment, the only thing we can do is follow our own code of judgment and try to prevent the effects we have on our ecosystem that are harmful.  

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/09/climate-change-threatens-adirodnack-boreal-species.html