effects of climate change on grasslands · •different types of grassland occur in different...
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Effects of Climate Change
on Grasslands
Jeff Thorpe Saskatchewan Research Council
June 27, 2012
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Grassland work under the Prairies Regional Adaptation Collaborative
Two components: •How vulnerable are prairie grasslands to climate change? •What are the options for adapting to climate change? Collaborators: •Manitoba
•Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives •Manitoba Conservation
•Saskatchewan •Saskatchewan Watershed Authority •Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food •Saskatchewan Research Council
•Alberta •Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Funding from Natural Resources Canada
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Vulnerability analysis is based on modeling of future climates
• We analyzed many different climate change scenarios.
• We picked two scenarios to represent the range of variation: one cooler, one warmer.
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1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
Potential Evapotranspiration (mm) (average over Prairie Ecozone)
AB, warm scenario
AB, cool scenario
AB, baseline
SK, warm scenario
SK, cool scenario
SK, baseline
MB, warm scenario
MB, cool scenario
MB, baseline
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1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
Annual Precipitation (mm) (average over Prairie Ecozone)
AB, warm scenario
AB, cool scenario
AB, baseline
SK, warm scenario
SK, cool scenario
SK, baseline
MB, warm scenario
MB, cool scenario
MB, baseline
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0.50
0.55
0.60
0.65
0.70
0.75
1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
Proportion of Precipitation in May-September (average over Prairie Ecozone)
AB, warm scenario
AB, cool scenario
AB, baseline
SK, warm scenario
SK, cool scenario
SK, baseline
MB, warm scenario
MB, cool scenario
MB, baseline
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Modeling of vegetation responses to climate change
• Different types of grassland occur in different climatic regions.
• A model was developed to predict the shift in grassland zonation with climate change
• The model was calibrated using data from both Canada and the U.S. - using the U.S. Great Plains as an analogue for the future Canadian Prairies.
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Kuchler vegetation types used for U.S. zonation
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The zonation model is not an exact prediction, but it shows probable future trends:
•gradual reduction in tree and shrub cover. •shifts in structure of grasslands from taller to shorter species. •decrease in cool-season grasses, increase in warm-season grasses. •gradual introduction of plant and animal species currently found only in the U.S.
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•Grasslands in moister regions produce more forage than those in drier regions. •Annual production determines sustainable stocking rates, so it affects the incomes of livestock producers. •A model was developed to predict the changes in production with climate change.
Changes in grassland production
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1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
Average Grassland Production on Loam (kg/ha)
Dauphin, baseline
Dauphin, cool scenario
Dauphin, warm scenario
SE Manitoba, baseline
SE Manitoba, cool scenario
SE Manitoba, warm scenario
Lloydminster, baseline
Lloydminster, cool scenario
Lloydminster, warm scenario
Estevan, baseline
Estevan, cool scenario
Estevan, warm scenario
Cardston, baseline
Cardston, cool scenario
Cardston, warm scenario
49°N/110°W, baseline
49°N/110°W, cool scenario
49°N/110°W, warm scenario
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Carbon fertilization effect
• These models do not account for the fertilizing effect of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations. – Increased rate of photosynthesis
– Improved water use efficiency
• Field experiments with CO2 enrichment chambers show increased grassland production.
• But nutrient uptake and forage quality may decline, so cattle would have to eat more.
• Overall effect is uncertain, but carbon fertilization may help to offset the effect of a drier climate.
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Effects of Extreme Events
• These models represent the average climate – what about year-to-year variation?
• Some studies indicate that climate change will increase variability in precipitation.
• This may lead to more frequent and more intense droughts.
• Extreme wet years can also cause problems.
• These extreme events could be more important than the changes in average productivity.
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Immediate effect of drought is reduced production (Manyberries example)
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1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
yearly
average
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Yearly Production at Manyberries, AB, and Effect of Climate Change on Average Production
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1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050 2070 2090
pro
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kg/h
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measured
CGCM
GFCM
MIMR
HAD
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Long-term effect of drought is change in vegetation composition
• Changes during the drought of the 1930s were well documented:
– Shift from taller grasses to shorter grasses.
– Increase of early-growing species: Sandberg’s bluegrass, June grass, sedges.
• Impacts of drought were made worse by the heavy grazing practiced at that time.
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Recovery from the 1930s drought: 48 stands of Mixed Prairie in Alberta and Saskatchewan (Coupland 1959)
1944 1955-1956
Needle-and-thread 29% 13%
Blue grama 24% 15%
June grass 9% 9%
Low sedge 3% 3%
Thread-leaved sedge 2% 2%
Plains reedgrass 1% 5%
Wheatgrasses 15% 23%
Western porcupine grass 14% 27%
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The problem of invasive plants • Climate change could be a stress
that makes communities more susceptible to invasion.
• Invasive species have a number of advantages under climate change: – Faster evolution
– Efficient dispersal
– Can use disturbed habitats as stepping stones
• So invasion problems could become even more severe than they already are.
• However, invasion is most severe in the moister grasslands – increasing drought could actually reduce the risk of invasion.
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Climate change and wetlands
• Weather controls wetlands: – moisture balance→ number
of ponds → number of ducks
• Models predict decreasing pond numbers and duck populations with climate change.
• Interaction with land use: drainage of wetlands exacerbates the impact of climate change.
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• Short term – resist the effects of climate change
• Medium term – increase resilience, allowing system to return to previous state following disturbance
• Long term – help the system to adaptively respond to change rather than resisting it
Adaptation options – the three Rs:
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• Reducing numbers of livestock
• Moving livestock to alternative grazing
• Purchasing feed
• Hauling water
Short term adaptations – actions of producers to cope with extreme events
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– Changing herd structure – higher proportion of yearlings
– Sustainable grazing management to improve rangeland health
– Converting marginal cropland to perennial forages
– Planning for increased feed reserves
– Improving water storage and distribution systems
– Community pasture programs
– Detection and control of invasive species
– Crop insurance and assistance programs
– Drought monitoring and prediction tools
Medium term adaptations – actions by producers and governments to increase the
resilience of the system
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Long term adaptations
• Predictions of future change are too variable and uncertain for development of long-term prescriptive plans.
• Be aware that directional changes may be happening, and have monitoring systems in place so you can detect them and adjust policies accordingly.
• In the meantime:
– keep grassland systems healthy
– don’t reduce your future options (e.g. by eliminating grasslands)
– help grasslands to respond to change.
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Helping grasslands to respond
• Prairie grasslands have a high capacity to respond to climatic variability by shifts in proportions of species.
• But eventually new species will have to move northward.
• Habitat fragmentation will impede this response.
• Conserving as much grassland as possible, and maintaining connections between patches, will facilitate migration.
Grassland fragmentation (SW Manitoba)