translating climate science into urban conservation action abigail derby lewis the field museum,...
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Translating climate science into urban conservation action
Abigail Derby LewisThe Field Museum, Science Action Center
Chicago Wilderness, Climate Action Initiative
Photo: IDNR S. Ballard
Photo: IDNR R.Simpson
Flickr Creative Commons
Chicago Wilderness Climate Action
climate.chicagowilderness.org
Chicago Wilderness Climate Action
climate.chicagowilderness.org
Conservation of Urban Biodiversity Under Climate Change: Climate-Informed Management for Chicago Green Spaces
Lurie Garden
• Changes in precipitation patterns (wetter winters and springs; drier summers)
• Increases in extreme storm events
(e.g., rain, snow, wind) • Increases in the number of extreme heat days in summer
(In a high-emissions scenario, 32 days > 90° by mid-century)
• Winters becoming “less cold” (average nighttime lows increasing; less ice cover = increased beach erosion)
Source: Hayhoe et al. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2010.
What Can We Expect?
Lake Michigan 1973-2010• Water warmed by 3.3°F
• Winter air temperatures over lake warmed by 2.7°F • Ice cover reduced by 77%
Jan 2012, National Weather Service
Wang et al 2012
1990 map Based on
1974-1986
2012 map Based on
1975-2005
Within next several decades: 5b – 6a*
By end of century:
6b (L) – 7a (H)
*Irrespective of future emissions scenarios (Hellmann et al. 2010)
The 2012 map is generally ½ zone warmer than previous map throughout much of the US
Flooding Impacts- Midwest
Climate Impacts: Biodiversity
Direct effectsTemperaturePrecipitationIncreased intensity of weather events
Indirect effectsRange shiftsPredators/disease/invasivesTiming of important annual cycle events
(Lymantria dispar)
(Baptisia leucantha)
Climate Impacts: People
Direct effectsTemperature: heat-related diseases
Indirect effectsIncreased intensity of weather events:
Flooding affecting residences, public transportation, bridges
Electricity shortages and changes in energy demands
Municipal costs such as landscaping, road maintenance, emergency response
Chicago Wilderness Climate Action
Chicago–Milwaukee Corridor
Chicago Wilderness Climate Action
More extreme rain events
• increased inputs of nutrients, pollutants, and sediments
• increased freq of channel-forming events• scouring of aquatic habitats
Increased• flashiness • surface water flow • flooding• headward erosion• run off
Near-term * Mid-term * Long-term
Adaptation Actions
Impacts
Stressors
Goal
• Stormwater• Water Quality
• HabitatMonitoring
• Stormwater• Water Quality
• Habitat
Management
• Contractors• Residential• Municipalities
Outreach
City Hall rooftop
Lurie Garden
Humboldt Park
Northerly Island
Urban Climate Action
Convened based on need expressed by resource managers
27 people, 15 organizations, 9 City Departments (AKA “Climate Fellows”)
3 Climate Clinics
Urban Climate Action
Identifying climate-sensitive decisions
What planning and management actions could reduce a site’s vulnerability to specific climate-related impacts?
Drought and heat stress
Extreme storms (e.g., precipitation flashiness and flooding)
Loss of key functional system or species
https://adapt.nd.edu/resources/1019
Urban Forest Climate Response
http://climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org/
