Wilderness and Climate Change

ilderness W Climate Change As defined in the Wilderness Act, a wilderness“may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.” In 1964, when the Act was written, climate change was not yet on the national or global radar screen. It was not addressed by name, and referred to only by inference—as above, under “ecological”, “scientific”, “educational” —language of the Wilderness Act. But times have changed. Today, climate Wilderness areas, because they offer change is regarded by many, especially the least disturbed habitats, naturally scientists, as the fundamental threat mitigate known factors that affect the facing our species’ continued life on earth. climate. The undisturbed habitat which It is definitely a global topic of concern. wilderness offers also provides a way for But what is the connection to wilderness wildlife in these ecosystems to adapt to and what is its importance to climate change? changes in climate. Why Wilderness is Important to Climate Change Human-caused climate change threatens and lock away carbon dioxide in the the values for which wilderness areas wood, roots and leaves. In total, a forest were designated, such as clean air and is a carbon storage area, or “sink,” that water, and wildlife. It can also expand stores carbon, keeping it from becoming non-climate-related threats to wilderness, available as a “greenhouse” gas. such as invasive species and habitat Because water is the most limiting fragmentation. Wilderness does have resource in arid ecosystems, changes in a natural defense: its mere existence. global and regional precipitation patterns Wilderness, just by being wild and natural, in desert wilderness areas can result in provides a critical means for animals substantial effects, such as increased and plants to adapt to climate change soil erosion, shrinking vegetative cover, Wilderness areas… by allowing them to move freely and by diminished productivity, invasion of naturally mitigate known reducing the adverse effects of change exotics plants and the loss of native factors that affect the on ecosystem services and values. species. climate. In the climate change lexicon, carbon In further research to help anticipate dioxide is a “greenhouse” gas and the advancing effects of climate change, a leading cause of global warming. scientists can look to the past. Much of Wilderness areas suppress naturally the our knowledge about past climates has release of carbon dioxide gas. The trees come from old trees, wood, and pollen within forested wilderness areas, aside cores that increasingly can be found only Glacier Bay Wilderness, AK from providing shade and cool, absorb in undisturbed wilderness lands. Photo by Dave Spildie Wilderness also protects and connects For example, recent research has unfragmented natural areas, allowing shown the wolverine to be particularly wildlife to “adapt” to climate change. vulnerable to climate change. Sensitive …a forest is a carbon As climate change advances, some to the timing and duration of snow cover, storage area…keeping it species of wildlife will migrate to more the research indicates that wolverine from becoming available suitable environments. Species that populations will likely become smaller as a “greenhouse” gas. are unsuccessful at finding suitable and more fragmented in the second half environments will suffer increasing of the 21st century due to contiguous extinction rates, resulting in an overall areas of spring snow cover becoming loss of biodiversity. smaller and more isolated. King Range Wilderness, CA Photo by Bob Wick, Wilderness Bureau of Land Management Climate Change 2.

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