The issue of climate change long ago moved beyond the realm of scientific research.  One can now be involved with the issue of climate change in a variety of contexts: scientific research, engineering, policy creation, management, and probably more.  The primary focus of this blog is to cover scientific research in regards to climate (along with people and wildlands).  Much of the science out there, however, is difficult for the layperson to understand and reading science journal papers isn't always easy or accessible.  In light of this, I thought that today I'd include links to two reports that examine 1) climate change in the interior West and 2) climate change in Montana.  Both reports are written for a general audience.  While both of these reports cover some of the important science, they also look at policy and action.  Please keep in mind the organizations/groups that authored these reports as you read them.  Both contain excellent scientific information, but also contain policy opinions and recommendations - pay attention to the difference.  Happy reading.
Report: Hotter and Drier: The West's Changed Climate
This report was released in March 2008 and authored by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Report: Changing Climate, Changing Future: Montana in an Era of Climate Change
The National Center for Appropriate Technology published this report in 2009 to provide a summary and guide to the recommendations made by the Montana Climate Change Advisory Committee, which was appointed by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer in 2005.  The Committee's original report can be downloaded in two parts: Montana Climate Change Action Plan.
 

Getting title deja vu?  While the petition to list the whitebark pine tree as endangered (see earlier post) still hangs in limbo, another climate affected species is closer to a final decision.  On October 1, 2007, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition to list the pika as endangered or threatened.  On May 7, 2009, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued a "90-day finding" that found substantial scientific reasons to further investigate listing the American pika as endangered.  In the next step, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will issue a 12-month finding that recommends whether action should be taken to list the pika as threatened or endangered or not. 
Both the original petition and the report issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are remarkably informative, including species information and threat factors affecting the species.  The primary threat is global climate change.  Pika live at high elevation and, as climate changes, these habitats may experience a change in ecology, snowpack, and seasonal temperatures.  For many pika populations, the only option would be to move to higher elevations, yet the talus fields, specific vegetation needs, and required space may simply not exist at higher elevations. If this listing does go through, the pika will be the first mammal in the lower 48 states to be listed with "climate change" as the primary threat.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Report:  90-Day Finding on a Petition to List the American Pika as Threatened or Endangered with Critical Habitat.  If you'd like to download a pdf of the report, link here.
Petition to List the Pika:  Go to this link to find information on the pika, and a link to the original Center for Biological Diversity petition to list the species.  This petition is a powerhouse of information on the pika, and certainly recommended browsing, including a phenomenal reference list.

An average increase in minimum temperatures in late winter/early spring and in early fall is not new news, and this result has come from a wide variety of studies throughout the Rockies (and the rest of the West) - here is more confirmation from within Montana.  Joseph Caprio, a professor emeritus in Montana State University's Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, along with two others (from Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Canada and the Desert Research Institute), authored a paper in Climatic Change, which shows that minimum temperatures are increasing at approximately 10% per decade.
General Audience Article:  The Montana State University news service published this nice summary article about the Bozeman, MT and Coldstream, B.C research.
Journal Article: "A statistical procedure to determine recent climate change of extreme daily meteorological data as applied at two locations in Northwestern North America" in Climatic Change.
For those of you thinking about impacts, some potential impacts from this extended warm season include (among others):
  - Earlier spring runoff, with potential risk for increased drought
Journal Aricle: "Twentieth century trends in runoff, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture in the Western United States", A.F. Hamlet et al., Journal of Climate, 2007.
  - Impacts on flowering plants
Journal Article: "Effects of climate change on phenology, frost damage, and floral abundance of montane wildflowers", D.W. Inouye, Ecology, 2008.

In the interest of increasing the timeliness of posts to A Closer Look, and posting more regularly, I am going to move away from the longer posts, with many links, and towards more, shorter posts.  The goal, however, remain the same: to inform on science relating to the interactions and impacts among climate, people, and wildlands in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies regions.
Now, on with our post...
The New York Times recently ran an article highlighting newer, noninvasive research techniques for studying wildlife.  Speaking to a wide range of researchers in Montana and around the Greater Yellowstone region, the article touches on the remarkable innovations occurring in wildlife biology research, and the remaining importance of more standard research techniques.
NY Times Article:  "Tools That Leave Wildlife Unbothered Widen Research Horizons", from March 9th, 2009.

In early December, the National Resource Defense Council submitted petitions to have the whitebark pine listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Program. In light of this petition, it seems timely to point toward several interesting science articles available regarding whitebark pine, the species that depend on it, and the potential impacts of climate change on the species.
Several species have close relationships with whitebark pine. In the early 1980's, the symbiotic relationship between whitebark pine and Clark's nutcracker birds was established: the birds help disperse seeds (which are not released from the cone and spread by wind) by creating seed caches for their winter food supply. The seeds that are not eaten have a chance to germinate. Because of the high fat and protein content, grizzly and black bears also use whitebark pine seeds as a significant component of their annual calorie intake.
Journal Article: “Use of sulfur and nitrogen stable isotopes to determine the importance of whitebark pine nuts to Yellowstone grizzly bears”, Laura Felicetti, et al.
Journal Article: One of several articles published in 1982 that established the interconnection between whitebark pine and Clark's nutcracker birds.
Two major threats faced by whitebark pine trees, and cited in the NRDC press release, are mountain pine beetles (earlier post) and white pine blister rust. Mountain pine beetles, a native species, bore under a tree's bark and disrupt the nutrient flow, causing fairly quick tree mortality. Blister rust, a non-native fungus, is recognizable by its orange color.
Journal Article: “The influence of white pine blister rust on seed dispersal in whitebark pine”, authored by Shawn McKinney and Diana Tomback
NRDC press release: Article on the NRDC petition to have the whitebark pine listed as an endangered species.
Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation: While this nonprofit organization does have an advocacy bent, they also provide excellent scientific information on the whitebark pine. The Director of their Board of Directors is University of Colorado Professor Diana Tomback, a prominent whitebark pine scientist, with more than a handful of scientists filling in other board positions.
General Audience Article: A general introduction to whitebark pine trees, the animals they support, and the threats they face.
Recommended Book: A remarkably complete survey of the science on whitebark pine.

The Clark Fork Coalition released the report Low Flows, Hot Trout in July 2008 in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation. While the report covers science and policy/action (policy/action is not the purpose of this blog), the science section of the report is a nice overview of climate change science and impacts for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Though the Clark Fork Watershed is not in the GYE proper, the issues faced there - e.g., increasing temperatures, earlier snowmelt and runoff, higher likelihood of wildfire and insect outbreaks - are the same as those in the GYE. Also, many of the studies referenced in the report look at all of Montana.

After looking at the Low Flows, Hot Trout report, check out these science sources:

Journal Article: The report reference list does include a Phil Mote publication looking at snowpack. This article, however, is more recent and covers a larger area of the west.
Journal Article: One more Phil Mote journal article looking at snowpack trends.

BSI resource: Lisa Graumlich, the former executive director for the Big Sky Institute, published work with a student and colleague looking at climate change impacts on conifer distribution in the GYE.

IPCC Report: The Clark Fork Coalition's report refers to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and their work several times. This summary document by the IPCC explores the scientific basis for climate change understanding.

The New York Times recently published an article on the impact that mountain pine beetles are having on pine forests throughout the Rockies, including a video piece. These native beetles have flourished recently thanks to a number of factors, including mild winters; if temperatures are cold enough many larva are killed during winter. Trees experiencing stress (e.g., drought, overcrowding, or old age) are also susceptible to mountain pine beetle outbreaks. Not surprisingly, recent research suggests that as the climate warms, we can expect to see mountain pine beetle outbreaks at higher latitudes. This also reflects the shifting of host ecosystems as the climate changes.
Journal Article: A look beyond trees, to how mountain pine beetle outbreaks will affect the carbon cycle under a changing climate.

Ever wonder how hot you might feel when you're out playing in Montana in 2080? Climate Central is a relatively new group that works to bring climate change information to the public, acting as a science-interpreter of sorts. They have started off their work with a look at Montana.

Go here to...

• view a video on trout and drought
• check out how Montana's climate might change over the next 100 years
• see how March temperatures have risen since 1950
• examine forest fires or wind energy in Montana

A recent article in Discover News looks at the precipitous decline of amphibians in Yellowstone National Park since 1992/93. Using Yellowstone as a field site allows researchers to rule out non-climate factors that might normally be a factor in these ecosystem changes. Instead, research points toward a significant climate change impact, with entire amphibian populations lost as ponds dry up and temperature averages increase.

Read the complete Discover News article here.

Journal Article: Original research article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science