2007 Summaries of Wildlife Research Findings - Minnesota State ...

1. INTRODUCTION
The most comprehensive research on climate change is summarized by the
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC, comprised of many scientists
from around the world, was created by the World Meteorological Organization and the United
Nations Environment Programme to provide an objective source of climate change information
for policymakers. In their latest assessment report, the IPCC made the following conclusions:
“Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases
in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising
global average sea level” (IPCC 2007:30); “Most of the observed increase in global average
temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely [>90% probability] due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic GHG [greenhouse gas] concentrations” (IPCC 2007:39); and “It is
likely [>66% probability] that there has been significant anthropogenic warming over the past 50
years averaged over each continent (except Antarctica)” (IPCC 2007:39).
Some of the impacts of recent warming on the Earth’s biota have been documented
(Parmesan and Galbraith 2004), and projected climate change will have implications for wildlife
in particular (Inkley et al. 2004). In recognition of the importance and urgency of developing
approaches to deal with climate change, senior managers in the Division of Fish and Wildlife of
the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) started 2 initiatives. First, a group in
Fisheries Research redesigned its long-term lake survey program to detect early climate change
impacts. The new program is called Sustaining Lakes in a Changing Environment (SLICE,
Valley 2008). The second initiative was to form a short-term working group within the MNDNR
Section of Wildlife. Three Advisors, who provided direction and oversight, convened the
Wildlife Climate Change Working Group during August 2007. The purpose of the working
group was to guide the MNDNR Division of Fish and Wildlife in describing (1) climate change
in Minnesota, (2) its effects on wildlife species and habitat, and (3) the development of wildlife
management and monitoring actions needed to respond to this unprecedented wildlife
management challenge. The goal was to produce this summary document by spring of 2008.
The organization of this report follows directly from our 3-point statement of purpose.
Knowledge of climate change as it relates to Minnesota is summarized in Section 2. Observed
and potential effects of climate change on wildlife and habitats are described in Section 3. Our