Climate Change Adaptation: Case Studies

U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceMay 14, 2008

Changing Climate

Source: NECIA Report October 2006Union of Concerned Scientists

http: www.northeastclimateimpacts.org

Current Changes: Its Current Changes: Its happening now…happening now…

More frequent days above 90°F - 100°F

Longer growing season (+21-43 days)

Earlier spring and later fallEarlier breakup of winter ice on

lakes and riversEarlier spring snowmelt-earlier

spring stream flowRising sea-level Source: NECIA Report October 2006 – Union of Concerned Scientists

http: www.northeastclimateimpacts.org

Impacts & Responses: Freshwater systems

Climate Driven

Changes

Impacts Response

Longer Summer/Increa

sed Summer Temperatures

Decreased Summer FlowIncreased evapotranspiration

Increased Water TempsHabitat Fragmentation

More Intense Storm Events

Increased FloodingIncreased ErosionIncreased Scour

Wetland InundationChanges in floodplainsSedimentation

Impacts & Responses: Coastal Systems

Climate Driven Changes

Impacts Response

Sea Level Rise Inundation of WetlandsSalt water intrusionIncreased Erosion

Loss of marshes and other habitatsDisplacement of speciesHabitat loss

TNC 2007: Conserving Freshwater and Coastal Resources in a Changing Climate

Case Studies

Actions to prepare and protect ecosystems and reduce the severity of climate change impacts

Enhance resilienceEnhance resilience ConnectivityConnectivity Water TemperaturesWater Temperatures FlowsFlows

Plan for species/system migrationPlan for species/system migration Migration areasMigration areas Upland buffersUpland buffers

Dam and Barrier Removal

Case study: Mill River, MassachusettsClimate Change Impacts: Altered flows, more

intense storms.Adaptation Strategy: Dam removal.

Remove three dams from the Canoe-Snake-Mill River tributary and restore diadromous fish passage throughout 37 miles of the watershed.

Restore a run of 300,000+ herring plus American eel, alewife and resident fish species and bald eagles.

Zemko Dam, Eight Mile River, CT

Stream Flow Protection

Case Study: Connecticut RiverClimate Change Impacts: Altered flows,

higher water temperatures.Adaptation Strategies: Flow

management.

Manage flood control, hydropower and water supply systems to protect and restore instream and floodplain communities. Army Corps Study to build basin-wide hydrology model that will include climate change scenarios.

Restore floodplain forests based on current condition and ability to protect/restore hydrologic regimes.

Acquisition: Wetland Buffer Zones

Case Study: New Jersey Eldora and Gandy’s Beach Preserves

Climate Change Impacts: Sea level rise, erosion, inundation from storm surge

Adaptation Strategies: Acquisition, restoration.

Target protection of about 800 acres on the inland edges of salt marsh preserves and upland buffers to provide areas for coastal wetlands to move landward.

Beach dune restoration with Army Corps at Lower Cape May Meadows. Dunes made higher to anticipate climate change.

Coastal Wetland Migration

Case Study: Coastal Connecticut, Kennebec Estuary Project, Sandy Neck Barrier Beach, MA

Climate Change Impacts: Sea level rise, erosion

Adaptation Strategies: Planning, acquisition.

Work to define current spatial extent of salt marshes, including species composition, adjoining land use and accretion-subsidence rates.

Identify potential for coastal marsh migration under various scenarios.

Protect 40 acres to allow globally rare ‘mud’ plants to migrate.

Protect 130 acres of dune and marsh system including 55 upland acres for migration.

Rolling easements

Case Study: Long IslandClimate Change Impacts: Sea

level rise, subsidence, erosionAdaptation Strategies: Rolling

easements, land use planning, acquisition.

Workshops for local officials to familiarize them with the need for stronger set-backs.

Foster discussion of rolling easements to managing shoreline development (aka NC, TX).

Spatially explicit decision tool to visualize the resources at risk.

Conservation Planning

Case Study: Massachusetts, Lake Champlain Region (

Climate Change Impacts: Increased temperature, changes in habitat composition, changes in predator/prey relationships.

Adaptation Strategy: Regional scale connectivity planning.

Identify potential connections or corridors for wide-ranging mammals including fisher, bobcat and black bear between the Adirondacks, Green Mountains and Taconics.

For Massachusetts, apply Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System (CAPS) “connectedness” measure to understand the ecological integrity of land cover.

Forest Planning & Management

Case Study: St. John Region, Maine Climate Change Impacts: Species range

shifts; increase in pests/pathogens, invasive species; more frequent disturbances (drought, high winds); higher average temperatures.

Adaptation Strategies: Foster species adapted to anticipated climate conditions; promote resilience to sustain existing species.

No hemlock or white pine, currently rare, are harvested to maintain these sentinel trees at the outer edges of their range.

More than 45,000 acres of reserve lands with “deeply buffered cores areas,” are set aside for sugar maple in anticipation of declines elsewhere.

“A CHANGE IS COMING”

The past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future