Climate Change in Glacier and Impacts to Park Wildlife
Glaciers are responsible for the sculpted peaks, hanging valleys and azure lakes that inspire park visitors. However, glaciers provide much more than scenery. They are an integral part of the ecosystem, acting as water towers during dry periods. In this way, glaciers are essential to the health of aquatic and riparian ecosystems.
In 1850, there were an estimated 150 glaciers in the park. Today there are only 26. Scientists predict the glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone by 2030. Mountain snowpacks have also declined as a result of warming temperatures. Due to changing precipitation and seasonal patterns, snow is often replaced with rain. Additionally, spring runoff is happening two weeks earlier. The combination of these factors means less water is availabe in dry months, increased potential for floods, and rising water temperatures in streams, rivers and lakes. This trend is expected to have major consequences for aquatic species such as bull trout, harlequin ducks, and tailed frogs.
Alpine meadows are also expected to change rapidly over the next several decades. These high altitude meadows host many rare species including pika, mountain goats, and grizzly bears. In addition to receiving less rain, the longer growing season is allowing the treeline to climb in elevation, decreasing the alpine meadow habitat these species depend on.
Wildfire frequency and severity are increasing due to hotter, drier summer seasons. While fire has helped shape Glacier’s landscape, fires that are too intense may make it difficult for native species to return and allow destructive nonnative species to thrive.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing national parks. Rapidly changing conditions are already affecting their plants and animals, and some soon may face extinction. Our national parks are demonstrating how warming temperatures are changing the environment. They can also help us to understand how to mitigate its effects, and how to protect natural and cultural treasures for the enjoyment of generations to come.
In Glacier National Park, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. The American West is predicted to face some of the most dramatic warming and changes in rain and snowfall, and the park’s rapidly melting glaciers are a powerful example of what will be lost without action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Glacier’s diverse landscape is an ideal laboratory, and is helping scientists determine how climate change affects an intact ecosystem.
Glacier National Park is also a leader in educating park visitors about climate change. As a participant in the National Park Service’s Climate Friendly Parks program, it has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, in part by developing in-park solutions to reduce fossil fuel consumption. It also encourages visitors to participate in Do Your Part!, which contains a climate calculator and asks visitors to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to help a national park.
Our Changing Climate
While the Earth’s climate changes naturally, the rate of warming experienced over the last century is unprecedented. The global consensus is that a significant part of this warming is due to human activities. As a result, climate change is threatening our greatest natural and cultural resources. Scientists link the rise in Earth’s surface temperature to the accumulation of certain gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxides. These are commonly known as greenhouse gases (GHGs) because they trap heat within our atmosphere. Without GHGs, life on earth would not be possible.
However, increasing amounts of GHGs in the atmosphere are resulting in the unprecedented warming we are experiencing today. Many human activities, especially burning fossil fuels to create electricity or power vehicles, result in the emission of GHGs to the atmosphere. These emissions stay in the atmosphere forlong time — new research estimates it will take 1,000 years after stopping new emissions before carbon dioxide levels drop. This underscores why immediate GHG reduction is critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
