Oregon: Rogue River’s future climate forecast

On December 16, a report entitled “Preparing for Climate Change in the
Rogue River Basin” was released with ominous predictions for the Rogue
Valley. Drafted by the University of Oregon’s Climate Leadership
Initiative and the Ashland-based National Center for Conservation
Science & Policy, the report is the first of four that will try to
boil down climate change predictions to a regional scale in Oregon. If
global warming continues unabated, summer temperatures in the Rogue
River Valley could rise up to 15 degrees by 2080, making the weather
here similar to that of Sacramento.

The researchers said the changes
would likely boost wildfires, drastically decrease snow pack and make
the region largely inhospitable for fish, forests, pears, wine grapes
and people, who would see water supplies dwindle. While the predicted
consequences of unchecked global warming are dire, these studies use a
model that assumes human societies do not make major changes in the
way we live in the coming decades. In fact, if we make difficult
choices now and take bold action locally and globally, we do have the
power to greatly reduce our carbon footprint and begin to stabilize
the conditions contributing to climate change. As scientific
understanding deepens it is becoming ever more clear that intact
native forests play a major role in carbon sequestration. Recent
studies reveal that uncut forests hold more than three times the
carbon previously thought- and more than 60% more than plantation
forests. It is also being recognized that in addition to stopping
carbon emissions, we must begin to take proactive steps to adapt to
the coming shifts in weather patterns. The report makes several
recommendations for increasing resistance and resilience, including
the reduction of current stressors such as old-growth logging, habitat
fragmentation and road-building, while protecting species diversity,
genetic diversity and remaining intact ecosystems such as old-growth
and roadless areas. It also emphasizes the need to maintain
connectivity across the landscape, both terrestrial and aquatic, as
well as protect ecosystem services and restore key biodiversity hot
spots.
http://www.kswild.org

Posted via email from Deane’s posterous