Understanding the science of climate change: Talking points - impacts to prairie potholes and grasslands
Loehman R. 2009. Understanding the science of climate change: Talking points - impacts to prairie potholes and grasslands. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NRPC/NRR—2009/138. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Climate changes in the Prairie Potholes and Grasslands bioregion include increased seasonal, annual, minimum, and maximumtemperature and changing precipitation patterns. Because the region is relatively dry with a strong seasonal climate, it issensitive to climatic changes and vulnerable to changes in climatic regime. For example, model simulations show that regionaldrought in the Prairie Pothole Region may result in loss of valuable habitat for breeding waterfowl, from an area that historicallyhas produced 50-80% of the continent’s ducks. Other impacts include potential vegetation shifts from C3 to C4 grasslandcommunities, increased wildfires, changes in wetland hydrology, altered carbon balance, and phenological shifts.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Loehman, Rachel
- Date of Issue
- 2009-12-01
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NRSS
- Keywords
- Climate and Disturbance, Climate and Vegetation, Climate and Water Cycle, Climate and Wildlife, Climate Change, Global Warming