Download Climate Change Adaptation: Case Studies

Climate Change Adaptation:
Case Studies
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
May 14, 2008
Changing Climate
Source: NECIA Report October 2006
Union of Concerned Scientists
http: www.northeastclimateimpacts.org
Current Changes: Its happening now…
 More frequent days above 90°F 100°F
 Longer growing season (+21-43
days)
 Earlier spring and later fall
 Earlier breakup of winter ice on
lakes and rivers
 Earlier spring snowmelt-earlier
spring stream flow
Source: NECIA Report October 2006 – Union of Concerned Scientists
www.northeastclimateimpacts.org
 Risinghttp:
sea-level
Impacts & Responses: Freshwater systems
Climate Driven
Changes
Impacts
Response
Longer Summer/Increased Decreased Summer Flow Increased Water Temps
Summer Temperatures Increased
Habitat Fragmentation
evapotranspiration
More Intense Storm
Events
Increased Flooding
Increased Erosion
Increased Scour
Wetland Inundation
Changes in floodplains
Sedimentation
Impacts & Responses: Coastal Systems
Climate Driven Changes
Impacts
Response
Sea Level Rise
Inundation of Wetlands
Salt water intrusion
Increased Erosion
Loss of marshes and
other habitats
Displacement of species
Habitat 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 resilience
 Connectivity
 Water Temperatures
 Flows
 Plan for species/system migration
 Migration areas
 Upland buffers
Dam and Barrier Removal
Case study: Mill River, Massachusetts
Climate 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 River
Climate 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.
Rolling easements
Case Study: Long Island
Climate Change Impacts: Sea
level rise, subsidence, erosion
Adaptation 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
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
“A CHANGE IS COMING”
The past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future