Potential Effects of Climate Change

Fotolia/Kwest 2011

Over the past decade, climate change has become an extremely important topic of discussion in both the scientific community and the general population. While climate change is undeniably largely human-induced, it unfortunately has taken a much heavier toll on innocent wildlife populations than on the human population. While to many, the effects of climate change on wildlife populations and wildlife ecology seem obvious, others don't realize the inevitable harmful effects of increased temperatures and changing weather patterns.

What are some of the negative impacts that climate change can, and in many cases already has, have on wildlife populations?

• Changes in weather patterns influence changes in water supply and availability.

• Warming conditions influence the arrival of invasive plant species.

• Warming conditions influence the arrival of more, better adapted competitive species.

• Changes in season length influence the overall structure and diversity of plant life in wildlife ecosystems.

In the Northeast, several species of animals have already begun suffering the effects of climate change, largely in part to the thinning of our mountain top evergreen conifer forests. What are some of these species?

• The Bicknell's Thrush

• The Boreal Chickadee

• The American Marten

• The Canadian Lynx

(Hilke 2011)