Climate Change Background Mountains- What can they tell us?
Mountains in the Northeast play a special role in understanding climate change. A hike above treeline provides a window into what the vegetation covering the entire Northeast would have looked like 10,000-13,000 years ago, after the glaciers first receded. Sediments at the bottom of mountain lakes and other undisturbed water bodies provide a record of this past vegetation. Pollen grains preserved within these layers of sediment tell scientists which plants were growing locally at different times since the last Ice Age. Most of the identified species are the same ones that are currently restricted to arctic and boreal areas in northern latitudes and high-elevation areas in the Northeast.
Mountain environments are also likely to be some of the most severely impacted ecosystems in the Northeast from future climate change. The alpine zone is a climate-limited environment and may be particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation (learn more). In addition, alpine areas are threatened by loss of habitat. Most ecosystems are predicted to slowly migrate and shift their distribution northward in response to warming temperatures. However, alpine areas in the northeast are distributed as small isolated islands surrounded by a sea of inhospitable spruce-fir forests. Instead of shifts in latitude, alpine vegetation will be limited to shifts in altitude. As these plants migrate upwards, they will be faced with reduced amounts of habitat, or may disappear completely. Scientists are already noticing shifts in vegetation boundaries from various alpine areas around the world.
But it’s not just scientists who are noticing these changes. Observations (some going back more than 100 years) by researchers, combined with observations of everyday citizens are showing earlier flowering times for many common spring blooming plants such as lilacs and tulips. The Mountain Watch program is aimed at enlisting your help in documenting whether these changes are occurring in the mountains of the Northeast. We are looking for hikers to act as citizen scientists by simply observing and documenting the flowering times of target species. If you would like to contribute to this regional baseline of data on your next hike, click here to learn more.
Climate Change Today
