Water for people and nature in the Southwest region has declined during droughts, due in part to human-caused climate change. "Many East Coast cities are going to become more like locations to the southwest, on average roughly . The aridity may become much worse during La Niña events, causing droughts that may be more severe than any other droughts seen in the climate record, including the medieval megadroughts (Seager et al. Colorado Springs, according to experts on climate change, is at a lower risk for natural disasters. Average temperatures across the entire Southwest have increased in recent years, with some areas increasing by up to 2°F. Flights seem to get consistently bumpier every passing year. Source: US EPA (2014)[8]. 2008). 2008, Cayan et al. Since 1970, average annual temperatures in the region have increased by about 2°F, with the greatest warming occurring during the summer. The Central Valley in California is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country. 2006). Ensure suppliers are adhering to Southwest's environmental and Culture standards Eliminate waste generation through source reduction and recycling/reuse where practicable Support legislation that provides incentives and funding for safe solutions to climate change, including alternative jet fuels and engine, airframe, Climate change is causing increases in temperature across the Southeast. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) The population of the Southwest is expected to increase by nearly 70% by mid-century. The finding by researchers runs counter to a basic tenet of climate change — that warming increases humidity because hotter air holds more moisture. Temperature records indicate that Pacific Northwest temperatures increased 1.5°F since 1920. Health problems are expected to be further aggravated by disruptions to urban electricity and water supplies. Mar 08, 2021 at 12:58 PM. 2009). There are also more predicted days over 95°F . Climate change is causing increases in temperature across the Southeast. The Southwest CASC has developed an informational handout that summarizes and synthesizes information on climate, fire, and forest change in California's iconic Sierra Nevada. Unlike in spruce-fir forests, fires in ponderosa pine forests and in grasslands feed off of fine fuels, like grasses and needle litter. As of 30 June 2021 61% of continental USA were in drought conditions. The strength of the monsoon varies from year to year, but researchers are currently unsure why (Adams and Comrie 1997). The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) was established in 2011 to provide objective scientific information, tools, and techniques that land, water, wildlife, and cultural resource managers and other interested parties can apply to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change impacts in the southwestern United States. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Climate Change Has Helped Fuel a Megadrought in the Southwest. [3] This was the smallest April snowpack in the last 65 years, and projections indicate continued declines in snowpack in the Southwest in the future. In the Southwest, climate change may impact a variety of resources, including water availability in the form of snowpack and spring streamflow, the distribution and composition of plant communities, and fire regimes. Meanwhile, the northern parts of the U.S. and the Midwest are expected to get wetter. Snowpack is a critical source of water in the Southwest, slowly releasing melted snow to streams and rivers over the dry spring and summer. Dry conditions often beget warmer-than-average air temperatures, which accelerate evaporation, which in turn lead to drier conditions. In montane ecosystems, warming is expected to cause plant species to shift upwards in elevation. 1997). Background. Climate is defined not only by average temperature and precipitation but also by the type, frequency, duration, and intensity of weather events such as heat waves, cold spells, storms, floods, and droughts. 2004). [1] In addition to less snow accumulation, warmer temperatures are expected to speed snow melting, and rain falling on snow could result in more rapid runoff and flooding conditions in spring. 17. We recommend land managers critically examine methods when using assessment results; select scale, methods, and targets carefully when planning new assessments; and communicate assessment needs to researchers of climate change response. The American Southwest might evoke images of a hot, dry landscape—a land of rock, canyons, and deserts baked by the sun. From 1960 to 2000, the number of days below freezing has already decreased (Weiss and Overpeck 2005). Fire models project more wildfire and increased risks to communities across extensive areas. Scientists have identified the Southwest as a climate change hotspot—an area whose climate is particularly vulnerable to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Diffenbaugh et al. As the Conservancy and other climate leaders actively work to increase resiliency to . Approximately 40% of the region is estimated to be vulnerable to changes in the distribution of abundant plant species as a result of recent and projected climate change. Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States—a contribution to the 2013 National Climate Assessment—is a summary and synthesis of the past, present, and projected future of the region's climate, emphasizing new information and understandings since publication of the previous national assessment in 2009.. This book explores the challenges that climate change and variability pose for water and energy managers and users, communities, and policy makers in the arid Southwest and demonstrates the application of economic methods to address these ... Source: USGCRP (2014). 2003). Global Change Research Program, 69-112. For more information on climate change impacts on forests, please visit the Forests page. This important resource: Reviews contemporary scientific research and practical applications in the areas of water, climate change and sustainability in different regions of the world Discusses future directions of research and practices in ... Collaborative efforts to tackle climate change will be strengthened as more of Florida dedicates resources to adaptation and mitigation strategies. The overall climate of the Southwest—its weather patterns over a long period of time—tends to be warm and dry. [1], Photos taken from the same vantage point near Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 2002 (left) and in 2004 (right). Fish and Wildlife Service: Climate Change in the Pacific Southwest, Ch. A number of them noted the Climate change will likely stress groundwater-based systems and result in decreased groundwater recharge. While the weather can change in minutes or hours, a change in climate is something that develops over longer periods of decades to centuries. During the 1950s drought, massive vegetation die-offs occurred over a variety of ecosystems in the Southwest (Swetnam and Betancourt 1998), and researchers have documented that pinyon-juniper woodlands at one site in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, completely converted to a ponderosa pine forest over a distance of 1.2 miles (Allen and Breshears 1998). The southwestern coast of . Network members share resources and information that may facilitate tribal climate change efforts through monthly phone calls. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) 3: Water Resources. July through September, precipitation comes from monsoonal storms that derive their moisture from both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and November through March, the precipitation comes from winter storms originating in the Pacific Ocean (Sheppard et al. [1][4] More severe drought and warming temperatures are threatening forests in the region and making them more vulnerable to other stresses, including pests. Climate changes pose challenges for an already parched region that is expected to get hotter and, in its southern half, significantly drier. Updated: 2:38 PM MST December 23, 2020. Desert Southwest May Be First U.S. Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Luber, G., K. Knowlton, J. Balbus, H. Frumkin, M. Hayden, J. Hess, M. McGeehin, N. Sheats, L. Backer, C. B. The influence of the monsoon on total annual precipitation depends upon the location. Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. 2004). Global Change Research Program, 19-67. Pasture lands are not irrigated, potentially reducing grazing lands to drought while warming temperatures impose additional stresses on livestock. Drought and increased temperatures due to climate change have caused extensive tree death across the Southwest. The exposure of specific sectors of the agricultural and forestry industries varies across the region because the Southwest is climatically and topographically diverse. 3: Water Resources. "The Southwest is a hotspot for climate change. Source: USGCRP (2014)[9], Maximum streamflow has also occurred earlier in the year and total yearly streamflow has decreased in the last decade. For more information on climate change impacts on water, please visit the Water Resources page. With its soaring azure sky and stark landscapes, the American Southwest is one of the most hauntingly beautiful regions on earth. Top of Page. Warming, regardless of precipitation changes, can also affect plant communities. During the months between these peaks, very little precipitation falls. Indeed, much of this region has low annual rainfall and seasonally high temperatures that contribute to its characteristic desert climate. Precipitation in the Southern Plains averages 12 to 39 inches, mostly falling from April through September. Rapid population growth will increase the competition for water resources across sectors, states, tribes, and even between the United States and Mexico. This vegetation shift has endured for 40 years. Because of the extremes in topography in the Southwest and its position between two major atmospheric circulation regimes, the climates of particular locations in the Southwest can be quite distinct from one another. Regional warming and consequent drought stress are the most likely explanations for why the trees are dying (van Mantgem et al. Yet staggering population growth, combined with the intensifying effects of climate change, is driving the oasis-based society close to the brink of a Dust-Bowl-scale catastrophe. Often beget warmer-than-average air temperatures, which accelerate evaporation, which accelerate evaporation, which in lead... 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