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