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Research Paper
Title: A climate change primer for land managers: an example from the Sierra Nevada
Author: Morelli, Toni Lyn; McGlinchy, Maureen C.; Neilson, Ronald P.
Date: 2011
Source: Research Paper PSW-262. Albany, CA: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 44 p
Station ID: RP-PSW-262
Description: Interest in location-specific climate projections is growing. To facilitate the communication of these data, we provide here an example for how to present climate information relevant at the scale of a national forest. We summarize some of the latest data on climate change projections and impacts relevant to eastern California, from the global scale to the state level, then focus on the Sierra Nevada, and finally the Inyo National Forest. Most climate models project increased temperatures and reduced snow cover across most of the Sierra Nevada, potentially causing water shortages and cascading ecological impacts. For the Inyo National Forest, we provide MC1 Dynamic General Vegetation Model outputs projecting a reduction in the extent of alpine/subalpine ecosystems, an increase of woodlands and grasslands, and an emergence of novel desert habitat in eastern Sierra Nevada by the end of the 21st century. Finally, we offer resources and possible alternatives to land managers for climate change adaptation. Thus, our study provides climate change information for a specific management unit in the West as well as an example for other regions. We used this information as background for a climate-adaptation workshop held in Bishop, California, in 2009. This workshop was part of a Westwide Climate Initiative project to work with land managers to develop climate change adaptation options.
Key Words: adaptation, California, Inyo National Forest, land management, management tool
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Citation
Morelli, Toni Lyn; McGlinchy, Maureen C.; Neilson, Ronald P. 2011. A climate change primer for land managers: an example from the Sierra Nevada. Res. Pap. PSW-RP-262. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 44 p.