translating climate science into urban conservation action abigail derby lewis the field museum,...

Translating climate science into urban conservation action

Abigail Derby LewisThe Field Museum, Science Action Center

Chicago Wilderness, Climate Action Initiative

Photo: IDNR S. Ballard

Photo: IDNR R.Simpson

Flickr Creative Commons

Chicago Wilderness Climate Action

climate.chicagowilderness.org

Chicago Wilderness Climate Action

climate.chicagowilderness.org

Conservation of Urban Biodiversity Under Climate Change: Climate-Informed Management for Chicago Green Spaces

Lurie Garden

• Changes in precipitation patterns (wetter winters and springs; drier summers)

• Increases in extreme storm events

(e.g., rain, snow, wind) • Increases in the number of extreme heat days in summer

(In a high-emissions scenario, 32 days > 90° by mid-century)

• Winters becoming “less cold” (average nighttime lows increasing; less ice cover = increased beach erosion)

Source: Hayhoe et al. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2010.

What Can We Expect?

Lake Michigan 1973-2010• Water warmed by 3.3°F

• Winter air temperatures over lake warmed by 2.7°F • Ice cover reduced by 77%

Jan 2012, National Weather Service

Wang et al 2012

1990 map Based on

1974-1986

2012 map Based on

1975-2005

Within next several decades: 5b – 6a*

By end of century:

6b (L) – 7a (H)

*Irrespective of future emissions scenarios (Hellmann et al. 2010)

The 2012 map is generally ½ zone warmer than previous map throughout much of the US

Flooding Impacts- Midwest

Climate Impacts: Biodiversity

Direct effectsTemperaturePrecipitationIncreased intensity of weather events

Indirect effectsRange shiftsPredators/disease/invasivesTiming of important annual cycle events

(Lymantria dispar)

(Baptisia leucantha)

Climate Impacts: People

Direct effectsTemperature: heat-related diseases

Indirect effectsIncreased intensity of weather events:

Flooding affecting residences, public transportation, bridges

Electricity shortages and changes in energy demands

Municipal costs such as landscaping, road maintenance, emergency response

Chicago Wilderness Climate Action

Chicago–Milwaukee Corridor

Chicago Wilderness Climate Action

More extreme rain events

• increased inputs of nutrients, pollutants, and sediments

• increased freq of channel-forming events• scouring of aquatic habitats

Increased• flashiness • surface water flow • flooding• headward erosion• run off

Near-term * Mid-term * Long-term

Adaptation Actions

Impacts

Stressors

Goal

• Stormwater• Water Quality

• HabitatMonitoring

• Stormwater• Water Quality

• Habitat

Management

• Contractors• Residential• Municipalities

Outreach

City Hall rooftop

Lurie Garden

Humboldt Park

Northerly Island

Urban Climate Action

Convened based on need expressed by resource managers

27 people, 15 organizations, 9 City Departments (AKA “Climate Fellows”)

3 Climate Clinics

Urban Climate Action

Identifying climate-sensitive decisions

What planning and management actions could reduce a site’s vulnerability to specific climate-related impacts?

Drought and heat stress

Extreme storms (e.g., precipitation flashiness and flooding)

Loss of key functional system or species

https://adapt.nd.edu/resources/1019

Urban Forest Climate Response

http://climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org/

Thank you!

Contact info:Abigail Derby Lewis

aderby@fieldmuseum.org