Will climate change affect biodiversity in pacific northwest forests
Global climate change could have significant consequences for biological diversity in Pacific Northwest (PNW) forested ecosystems, particularly in areas already threatened by anthropogenic activities and the resultant habitat modification and fragmentation. The forests of the Pacific Northwest have a high biological diversity, not only in terms of tree species, but also in terms of herbs, bryophytes and hepatophytes, algae, fungi, protist, bacteria, and many groups of vertebrates and invertebrates. Global circulation and vegetation model projections of global climate change effects on PNW forests include reductions in species diversity in low elevation forests as well as elevational and latitudinal shifts in species ranges. As species are most likely to be stressed at the edges of their ranges, plant and animal species with low mobility, or those that are prevented from migrating by lack of habitat corridors, may become regionally extinct. Endangered species with limited distribution may be especially vulnerable to shifts in habitat conditions.
- Research Organization:
- ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc., Corvallis, OR (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6575927
- Report Number(s):
- PB-93-168896/XAB
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Pub. in Northwest Environmental Jnl., Vol. 8, No. 1, 197-199(Spr/Sum 1992). See also PB--91-104240
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FORESTS
AIR POLLUTION
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ACID RAIN
ALGAE
ALLOCATIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
BACTERIA
BIOMASS
CARBON CYCLE
CLIMATES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ECOSYSTEMS
ENDANGERED SPECIES
FORESTRY
FRAGMENTATION
FUNGI
HABITAT
HERBS
INVERTEBRATES
MICROORGANISMS
MOBILITY
PACIFIC OCEAN
PLANTS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
TREES
USA
VERTEBRATES
VULNERABILITY
ANIMALS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISTRIBUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
RAIN
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
090700* - Biomass Fuels- Resources- (1990-)
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540250 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)