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Desert Climate Change Conference looks at local impacts of global warming and practical solutions

Yucca Valley, Calif. — Despite thriving in some of Earth’s hottest places, desert wildlife aren’t safe from the impacts of a warming planet, according to researchers who will present at the annual Desert Climate Change Conference this Friday in Yucca Valley.

“Southern California experiences a lot of natural variability, which is likely to increase in the future. Droughts, fires and floods that previously have been infrequent disasters are likely to become a more common part of life here. Science has shown the link between our behavior and these events,” says science advisor for the Mojave National Preserve, Dr. Debra Hughson, referring to human-driven climate change and its impacts on the Mojave Desert’s springs and wildlife. “We need to know more about climate change in order to prepare.”

Ecologist Dr. Cameron Barrows with the University of California-Riverside’s Center for Conservation Biology will examine how global warming will affect the threatened desert tortoise. He says that, “Across a warmer and especially drier desert landscape, many animals and plants will need to shift upslope or northward in order to survive. In the face of that challenge, a critical question is whether our conservation lands, like national parks, can maintain their role as protectors of our natural heritage.”

Higher temperatures are also a problem for desert birds. Dr. Lori Hargrove, who has studied their ranges over a 26-year-period, will report on how some bird species are trying to beat the heat. Dr. Hargrove’s findings shed light on what’s driving them farther north and to higher grounds -- linking hotter temperatures and drier conditions to the mysterious migration.

She says that, together, these factors “could make desert birds’ range unsuitable if they’re near their limits of temperature and aridity.” Her research suggests that the fowl are searching for food, water and places to nest -- following habitat that’s also shifting with the changing climate. 

But this year’s conference offers hope. Palm Desert City Councilman Jim Ferguson will reveal the strategies that helped its residents take full advantage of a state energy law (AB 811) aimed at reducing heat-trapping gas emissions, improving home and office energy efficiency and making rooftop solar panels more affordable. By sponsoring around $2.5 million in loans, Palm Desert has helped nearly 100 residents make energy improvements on their property – with nearly three dozen outfitting their rooftops with solar panels.

Meanwhile, a soon-to-be-released report by the National Parks Conservation Association, a sponsor of the conference, also offers good news. It finds that projects to restore wildlife habitat in and around national parks provide important benefits, such as helping these lands become more resilient to climate change -- while at the same time creating American jobs and protecting local economies.

The conference goes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Yucca Valley Community Center, Yucca Valley, California.

An art show and wine and cheese reception will follow the conference at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum in Yucca Valley until 6 p.m. All activities including admission to the conference and reception are free. And all ages are welcome. For directions to the art show, click here.

For more information on the conference, please click here. 

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Sponsors include: National Parks Conservation Association, Defenders of Wildlife, The Desert Protective Council, The National Park Service, Mojave Desert Land Trust, The Living Desert, Copper Mountain College, Morongo Basin Conservation Association, The Sun Runner Magazine and the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council.