Climate Change and Alaskan Wetlands Sadie Iverson SWES 574.
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Transcript of Climate Change and Alaskan Wetlands Sadie Iverson SWES 574.
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Climate Change and Climate Change and Alaskan WetlandsAlaskan Wetlands
Sadie IversonSadie Iverson
SWES 574SWES 574
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Wetlands in AlaskaWetlands in Alaska
As of 1990, only 0.1% lost
Walker et al. 2005
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Wetland TypesWetland Types
Many Many varietiesvarieties
Peatlands Peatlands (muskegs)(muskegs)
Marshes (salt Marshes (salt and and freshwater)freshwater)
Some Some affected by affected by permafrostpermafrost
Copper River Delta, southeast Alaska
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Wildlife SignficanceWildlife Signficance
Examples:Examples:– Yukon-Yukon-
Kuskokwim River Kuskokwim River Delta (at left)Delta (at left)
– Copper River Copper River DeltaDelta
bna.birds.cornell.edu
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Climate ChangeClimate Change
0.60.6°C warming over 20°C warming over 20thth century century CausesCauses
– End of Little Ice AgeEnd of Little Ice Age– Excess greenhouse gasesExcess greenhouse gases
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Arctic Impact?Arctic Impact?
Importance of iceImportance of ice Atmospheric effectsAtmospheric effects Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004
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Why Alaska?Why Alaska?
Arctic effectsArctic effects Heavily mapped for oil and mineral Heavily mapped for oil and mineral
explorationexploration Low population density (fewer human effects)Low population density (fewer human effects)
A muskeg
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Methane EffectMethane Effect
Alaska produces Alaska produces 7% of the 7% of the Arctic’s Arctic’s methanemethane
Attributed to Attributed to warming of warming of peatlandspeatlands
Felzer and Hu 2004
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Successional EffectSuccessional Effect
Encroachment Encroachment of scrubby of scrubby trees like trees like sprucespruce
Typical of Typical of warming eras warming eras in historyin history
Potential Potential effects not fully effects not fully understoodunderstood Sturm 2001
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Wetland Loss ExampleWetland Loss Example
Kenai Peninsula LowlandsKenai Peninsula Lowlands
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Kenai ResultsKenai Results
Muskegs, kettle ponds turn to wet soil or uplandsMuskegs, kettle ponds turn to wet soil or uplands
Rise in temperature, lowering of moistureRise in temperature, lowering of moisture
(Klein et al. 2005)(Klein et al. 2005)