Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wildlands Case Study - Western Mountains and Plains

Epa; Nps; US Fish and Wildlife Service

Continued warming could melt all the glaciers in Glacier National Park by 2030. Mountain glaciers in many other parts of the world, including the Pacific Northwest, also may disappear. Snow cover may be reduced, leading to drier conditions downstream. Warmer mountain streams may harm trout and other cold-water species, adding to existing stresses such as whirling disease. Yellowstone National Park may experience more frequent fires if the climate becomes drier. Plant species distributions may change as the climate changes. Rare alpine plants may become increasingly rare under warmer conditions. Some plants and animals in alpine lakes above treeline may disappear locally as treelines move higher and lakes warm. Global warming could reduce populations of ducks and other waterfowl that breed in the prairie pothole region of the northcentral United States and south-central Canada.