Study Projects Prairie/Forest Border Will Move North In Minnesota - State Largely Prairie By 2100

[hatrack]

Substantial areas of what is now Northland forest may someday change to savanna or grassland, according to University of Minnesota scientists detailing the impacts of climate change in a newly published research paper. The paper predicts Duluth-area forest types — red and white pine, birch and aspen — will recede northeast to about Thunder Bay, while prairie-like habitats now common in southern and central Minnesota will move into the North-land.

The scientific paper, published this month by the Ecological Society of America, also says many of the effects of a warming climate already can be seen and that more dramatic change will occur over the next 90 years. The paper was written by Peter Reich and Lee Frelich of the university’s Depart-ment of Forest Resources.

“We could become a mostly prairie state by the end of this century,’’ Frelich said. “It’s not going to retreat in uniform front. Islands of forest will remain in cooler, wetter areas and on north slopes. ... But the general line is already moving northeast.’’

Reich said the paper is among the first to tie together multiple climate-related forest issues and discuss how they may work together to compound the impact of higher temperatures. For example, warmer weather spurs more insects, which cause more tree mortality, which spurs more fire, which changes the forest.

EDIT

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/146564/

[NickB79]

1. Well, kiss a lot of the farms around here goodbye as well

"Climate scientists note that while much of Minnesota is expected to see about the same amount of precipitation each year, rain and snow will come in less frequent but more intense storms. That means periods of drought followed by downpours that can create flooding."

snip

"“We might be the same (annual precipitation) at the end of the year. But if you keep having seven- or eight-week droughts every summer, the forests we have now won’t survive,’’ Frelich said. “What defines a forest climate is having rainfall once a week. If you don’t get that, you have prairie. We’ve had these mini-droughts nearly every year for the past six or seven years.’’"


Mini-droughts interspersed by torrential downpours. Not only will this wipe out the basswood/sugar maple climax forests we now have in the south/southeast part of the state, but could you possibly create a worse situation for all the Midwest farmers? Either your fields burn up, or they get washed away.

Fucking wonderful.