Climate Change and the Canada Lynx

I’m seeing nothing especially new here, but, with that said, some
important concerns do get further confirmation, and some important
new details offered.

For example, a shift of biomes (e.g., forest shift to grassland) has
been a growing concern in recent years, and not one expressed only
within narrow scientific circles. When 60 Minutes interviewed Thomas
Sweatnam a year or more ago, he stated the risk that forests could be
replaced by a new and different biome.

The challenge for snow dependent species such as lynx has also been
noted before. But it’s been scientifically important to put those
issues to the test, and have them confirmed — or not. And the
challenge for the Propertius duskywing butterfly if climate change
happens too fast for survival of oak trees is a new detail in the
realm of broken synchrony between one species and another.
Lance
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“Lynx is one species that is vulnerable, but the potential impacts of
climate change on entire ecosystems are even more alarming.”
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Sierra Nevada Heating Up; Muir’s Glacier Gone

The Sacramento Bee is starting a major new series coodinated by
veteran writer Tom Knudson on the effects of global warming on the
Sierras.  They are putting very serious resources into this (and
getting a flood of naysayer comments, which sound more and more
pathetic but are a reminder of where a significant portion of the
public still are on the issue).  There is a multi-part series coming
out in print with today’s article as the first, plus a web log and other
useful resources online at http://www.sacbee.com/sierrawarming/

fh

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http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/sierra_summit/2008/08/014259html

Sierra warming: Climate change puts heat on high country

By Tom Knudson – tknudson@sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, August 3, 2008

Standing atop Yosemite’s tallest peak in August 1950, Hal
Klieforth looked out across the Lyell glacier and marveled at how
solid and unyielding it appeared.

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Climate Change and UK Woodlands

Times Online
The Sunday Times
August 3, 2008

Oak and ash in retreat as UK hots up
Brendan Bourne and Jonathan Leake

Britain’s woods and forests face their greatest disruption since the
last Ice Age with native species such as oak, beech and ash under
threat from climate change, according to research.

These and other native trees are likely to retreat from parts of the
warmer south and west as well as East Anglia, leaving woodlands
dominated by species adapted to heat and drought, such as Corsican
pine, Spanish oak and shrubs including spindle and dogwood. Many of
these species were introduced to Britain as ornamental trees but are
now expected to flourish in the wild. American giant redwoods already
grow well in England and could thrive.

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Study: Climate Chill Came Exactly 12,679 Years Ago

Climate chill came exactly 12,679 years ago: study
Fri Aug 1, 2008 1:04pm EDT 
.OSLO (Reuters)

A drastic cooling of the climate in western Europe happened exactly 12,679 years ago, apparently after a shift to icy winds over the Atlantic, scientists said on Friday, giving a hint of how abruptly the climate can change.

The study, of pollens, minerals and other matter deposited in annual layers at the bottom of Lake Meerfelder Maar in Germany, pinpointed an abrupt change in sediments consistent with a sudden chill over just one year.

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