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Is it Hot in Here? Climate Change and Wilderness

Several recent reports on climate change have strong links to Arizona, and underscore the need to preserve wilderness.

The National Climate Assessment released in May, 2014 is the official government report on climate change trends and potential impacts in the United States. This massive effort was led by University of Arizona researcher Kathy Jacobs. The report tapped a broad range of experts and was peer reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences, lending credibility to its findings.

The subsequent "Risky Business" report evaluated the economic risks of climate change in the United States by region, including the Southwest. Luminaries of economic and government fields led this effort, including Michael Bloomberg, Hank Paulsen, Henry Cisneros, Bob Rubin and others.

Additional reports from Climate Central and the Environmental Law Review Journal of the Lewis and Clark Law School offer fascinating insights on specific connections between climate change, Arizona and wilderness.

So what were the highlights for Arizona and the American Southwest?

Things are heating up. Arizona may see one to two more months of very hot weather each year, and temperatures in Phoenix may rise as much as 7 to 10 degrees by 2100.

Water resources will become even more stressed - due to droughts, earlier snowmelt and lower snowpack, and increased evaporation.

Agriculture will face greater challenges in an already difficult environment, with declining access to water, increasing invasive weeds and drought-induced stress on crops and forage.

Forests will become even more vulnerable to insects, disease and fire.

Human health will suffer. Among the most direct impacts, southern Arizona temperatures will more frequently induce heat stroke, especially among the elderly, outdoor workers and the poor.

What can wilderness do to help address the impacts of climate change?


"Fires are often part of the natural
disturbance regime, but if drought, poor
management, and high temperatures combine,
a fire can be so severe and widespread that
species are damaged that otherwise might even
be considered to be fire tolerant, such as spotted owls."

- National Climate Assessment

First, wilderness can help reduce factors fueling climate change. Intact forests and healthy vegetation store carbon, helping reduce greenhouse gasses.

Wilderness can also reduce existing impacts of climate change. By keeping soils intact, "fugitive dust" is reduced, and less sediment reaches streams. This benefits water resources in mountain snowpack, streams and lakes.

One of the most important values of wilderness may be creating refuges for vulnerable species. By reducing human impacts to ecosystems and wildlife, wilderness can reduce stress on wildlife and plants. And by preserving a network of diverse ecosystems from mountains to deserts – as is uniquely possible in Arizona – more species have a chance at migrating or adapting.

Even more important, wilderness harbors potent biodiversity. By sustaining diverse species and healthy natural systems, wilderness preserves a genetic legacy that may help wild offspring survive in an unpredictable world

 

Learn More:

National Climate Assessment, released in May 2014
Risky Business The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United Change
Public News Service Climate Central: Arizona Summers Will Get Much Hotter By 2100
Environmental Law Review Journal of the Lewis and Clark Law School

 

-Arizona Wilderness Coalition mission statement