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bobbobwhite
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Anyone know of evidence, to which you can refer me, of boreal forests advancing northward due to global warming, along with animal species using that habitat?
Thanks to all.
Thanks to all.
Apparently you have linked to the wrong source. Your link is about wildfires in the Western US and is an examination of land use, temperature and drought.Skyhunter said:Changes in the seasons are a robust line of evidence. Springtime is arriving sooner and autumn departing later all over the globe.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/313/5789/940
turbo-1 said:Watching the animals can be pretty iffy, too.
Andre said:Moreover it seems reasonable to expect that wild fire occurance is mainly a function of the amount of tinder and wood, or forests maturing.
"The climate scientists have really shown that global warming is happening. What we've found is that it's not only happening but it's having a big impact," she said.
In an analysis of 172 species of plants, birds, butterflies and amphibians, Parmesan found that spring events such as egg-laying or flower-blooming advanced 2.3 days on average each decade.
Her analysis of studies of 99 species of birds, butterflies and alpine herbs in North America and Europe found these species' ranges have shifted northward an average of about 3.8 miles per decade.
Most striking, she said, was the case of the sooty copper, a butterfly common near Barcelona until recent decades. These days, however, residents of the Spanish city must travel about 60 miles north to find this butterfly.
Meanwhile, the sooty copper's northern range, which once ended in Austria, has shifted into Estonia during the past five years, Parmesan said. The insect had previously never been seen in that Baltic nation.
turbo-1 said:The National Audubon Society has released their analysis of the changes in bird ranges over the past 40 years. The birds that extended their ranges northward outnumber by 2:1 those that have spread south, an on average, they have moved north about 40 miles in 40 years. Despite some record cold this year, our winters are getting warmer and have been for ever since I was a kid (longer than the Audubon study). We had no turkey vultures when I was in my teens - now they are ubiquitous. Goldfinches were a rare occurrence in the winter months - now large flocks of 20-30 show up at my feeder every day, and they are accompanied by Pine Siskins and Redpolls - birds that normally showed up in early-to-mid spring. I had attributed some of these appearances to human feeding, micro-climates and changes in habitat, but the Audubon folks believe that the weight of the evidence points to warming as the prime factor. We'll see...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_sc/birds_global_warming;_ylt=ArNloYzV.a1mC48jJXZJL02s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlZWk1YWo2BHBvcwMxMDgEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9zY2llbmNlBHNsawNzdHVkeWJpcmRzc2g-
Skyhunter said:Here is a the map from the Audubon Society showing migration patterns of the species.
They are just showing the 20 species with the most movement over that period, and presumably the species with the most movement are the ones moving north. What is surprising is that it appears to be a national trend. I had only considered Maine, and since we have been getting warmer winters for over 40 years, I was not surprised to see winter accidentals getting more and more common. Also, I have not seen a Boreal Chickadee for years - they are staying in Canada, I guess. Still, weather (as opposed to climate) has an effect. We have had a cold winter so far, and unlike previous winters we have not had a single tufted titmouse at the feeders. Usually, one or two of them would flock with the black-capped chickadees in winter.CRGreathouse said:Curious. Two-thirds is a big fraction, enough to suggest that something serious is going on with North American climate. But why do they 'cook the books' by showing 20 species moving northward and 0 southward? That's nonrandom with confidence 99.97%.
Not unusual, since we know forests existed near the north pole in the past.turbo-1 said:The National Audubon Society has released their analysis of the changes in bird ranges over the past 40 years. The birds that extended their ranges northward outnumber by 2:1 those that have spread south, an on average, they have moved north about 40 miles in 40 years. Despite some record cold this year, our winters are getting warmer and have been for ever since I was a kid (longer than the Audubon study). We had no turkey vultures when I was in my teens - now they are ubiquitous. Goldfinches were a rare occurrence in the winter months - now large flocks of 20-30 show up at my feeder every day, and they are accompanied by Pine Siskins and Redpolls - birds that normally showed up in early-to-mid spring. I had attributed some of these appearances to human feeding, micro-climates and changes in habitat, but the Audubon folks believe that the weight of the evidence points to warming as the prime factor. We'll see...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_sc/birds_global_warming;_ylt=ArNloYzV.a1mC48jJXZJL02s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlZWk1YWo2BHBvcwMxMDgEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9zY2llbmNlBHNsawNzdHVkeWJpcmRzc2g-
I'd rather not be shooting though a double-pane Harvey window, but that's the best I could do. Notice that I did not completely crop out the window-frame on the right side, thus thus the fade-out.Evo said:Not unusual, since we know forests existed near the north pole in the past.
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic43-4-331.pdf
I love that turkey picture!
We have chickadees, titmice, goldfinches and pine siskins at our feeders. I was really surprised to see them when it was 20°F outside. I would have thought they would have gone south - NJ, Maryland, Virginia or Carolinas for the winter. We're having a more typical winter this year, otherwise our winters have been warmer.turbo-1 said:They are just showing the 20 species with the most movement over that period, and presumably the species with the most movement are the ones moving north. What is surprising is that it appears to be a national trend. I had only considered Maine, and since we have been getting warmer winters for over 40 years, I was not surprised to see winter accidentals getting more and more common. Also, I have not seen a Boreal Chickadee for years - they are staying in Canada, I guess. Still, weather (as opposed to climate) has an effect. We have had a cold winter so far, and unlike previous winters we have not had a single tufted titmouse at the feeders. Usually, one or two of them would flock with the black-capped chickadees in winter.
Thanks! That picture was a "grab and go" event. I was doing some research work on the PC and suddenly there was a big flock of turkeys marching by the window. I grabbed a camera and captured a couple of the last hens that passed. BTW, did you notice that Audubon places the northern extent of the goldfinch range in west-central Indiana? That's pretty lame, since I have large flocks of those freeloaders every day at my feeders and I live in central Maine. My feeder holds almost 2 quarts of seeds and I load it with black-oil sunflower seeds twice a day. Right now the chickadees are making late-day raids on those seeds, and a white-breasted nuthatch is loading up on suet.CRGreathouse said:turbo-1: Thanks for pointing that out, I missed that. I edited my post to make it clear. And I love the turkey picture!
Evo said:Not unusual, since we know forests existed near the north pole in the past.
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic43-4-331.pdf
A taiga or boreal forest is a type of biome characterized by its cold, subarctic climate and dominated by coniferous trees such as spruce, pine, and fir. It covers a large portion of the Earth's northern hemisphere, including Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Siberia.
The advancement of taiga or boreal forests northward is primarily due to a process called succession. As temperatures in the northern regions warm due to climate change, the previously barren land is able to support the growth of trees, which gradually spread northward.
The advancement of taiga or boreal forests northward can have both positive and negative impacts. On the positive side, it can increase biodiversity and provide new habitats for animals. However, it can also lead to the displacement of indigenous communities and the destruction of permafrost, which can release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Scientists are using a variety of methods to study the advancement of taiga or boreal forests northward. These include satellite imagery, field studies, and computer modeling. By combining these approaches, scientists are able to track changes in the size and composition of these forests over time.
While the advancement of taiga or boreal forests northward is a natural process driven by climate change, there are steps that can be taken to slow it down. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, implementing sustainable land use practices, and protecting areas of intact forest to prevent further fragmentation and loss of biodiversity.