 |
| 2/7/2015 in Clinton, N.Y., with temperatures in the mid 40's. |
This past week in Clinton, N.Y.,
temperatures were in the 50’s and I was loving every second of it of the
spring-like February. Last year at this time, I was afraid to venture outside
of my dorm room in the below-zero wind-chill. The drastic differences in
weather made me wonder about why this winter was warm and what the ultimate consequences
were. Upon a quick google search, I’ve learned that across the world, regions
are experiencing the consequences of El Nino. Specifically, the Adirondack
wildlife and economy are suffering from this phenomenon.
As a brief explanation, El Nino is an
anomalous, yet periodic, warming of the Pacific waters. Every two to seven
years, this phenomenon of the warming of the Pacific Ocean occurs, and
drastically “influences the atmospheric pattern from the western Pacific Ocean,
including Australia and Indonesia, to North and South America, the Atlantic
Ocean, even parts of Europe and Africa.” No two El Nino’s are alike, and the intensity
of the El Nino determines the intensity of its impact on the environment. The
Adirondack’s are currently experiencing the affects of one of the strongest, or
among the strongest, El Ninos on record since at least 1950, and the effects
are noticeable. In addition to this year’s strong El Nino, the Arctic
oscillation is also complementing El Nino with a low pressure system in the far
north, causing the extremely warm winter. The warm weather, although nice to
walk in and providing low heating bills, is negatively affecting the wildlife
and economy of the Adirondacks.
 |
| http://www.cxmagazine.com/friday-forecast-el-nio-blob-tire-shopping-training |
Moose are one species that have
been indirectly affected by the warm weather. The extended fall weather means a
longer questing period for winter ticks. The warm weather also allows for a
greater rate of female survival to the reproductive stage in the spring. This
combination increases the tick population, which are a significant factor in
moose mortality rates. Ticks latch on to prey, and the winter ticks use intense
parasitism in moose, killing them through draining blood and energy preserves.
Although the weather is for the
most part abnormally warm, there are still times throughout this winter and
other El Ninos that temperatures will drop below freezing for extended period
of times. These sudden changes and drops in temperature cause problems for many
animals. Insulation, a key factor to survival for some in the winter, becomes
unavailable when the weather rapidly changes from cold to warm. Less snow means
that the soil has less insulation. So when the weather is mostly warm,
insulation is unavailable. But when there
are bursts of cold weather, animals relying on insulation suffer because there
is no insulation available. Toads and bumble bees are both animals suffering
from this change. For many insects, the alternating periods of warm and
freezing temperatures negatively affects their metabolisms. As a result of
their confused metabolism, insects burn through their energy reserves too
quickly.
The fall of 2015 was “the warmest
on record in the Adirondack Mountains,” the winter was no better, and the
locals of the Adirondacks are suffering. Temperatures was an outstanding high
of 64 degrees Fahrenheit on Christmas Eve in the Adirondacks. The park
experienced one the least snowy starts to the winter season since the late 1800s.
Although heating bills are dropping, those relying on winter tourism in
Adirondack’s are being heavily hurt. Where there are normally Nordic Ski
excursions, there are now hikes and trail runs. A warmer winter means a drop in
sales of winter clothing, snowmobiles and ski-lift tickets. In a region where
the economy is highly dependent on tourism and visitors, this warm weather harming
both the Adirondack wildlife and economy.
 |
| http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2016/01/a-warm-winters-winners-and-losers.html#comments |
I too am really enjoying the weather we've been having this winter! I find the animal impacts very interesting because I had never really thought the warm weather could harm so many of the animals. I only ever really considered the economic harms and the changes in recreational activities caused by El Nino. It's really sad to hear that the extreme weather, partially due to El Nino and partially due to climate change, has that large of an effect on non-arctic animals. People tend to think only about the polar bears and penguins, but maybe we should start thinking more broadly about the effects on animals.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and well-written. I enjoyed the depth you put into explaining El-Nino and the possible consequences. While some Upstate New Yorkers may very much enjoy not having to shovel feet of snow off their driveways, it is important to note that with benefits come consequences. Tie El-Nino to our little Climate Change predicament and we've got some interesting and unpredictable climate trends in our future.
ReplyDelete