#AskInterior: How climate change is impacting wildlife
11/17/2015
The United States is home to a wide array of wildlife -- from massive caribou and moose to hundreds of migratory birds and the tiniest turtles. As temperatures rise, snowpack drops to record lows and coastal flooding is more frequent, many species are feeling the impact. One global study of climate change effects showed that more than half of the 1,598 species studies have shown measurable changes in their habitat, breeding and migration patterns.
Have questions about how climate change is impacting wildlife, how they are adapting and what you can do to help? Join us for a Twitter chat on Wednesday, November 18, at 1 pm ET. Submit your questions on Twitter or Facebook using #askInterior or email them to us at newmedia@ios.doi.gov.
A range of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be on hand to answer your questions:
- Abigail Lynch, research fisheries biologist, USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. Lynch studies the impacts of drought on fish and their ecosystems.
- Laura Thompson, wildlife biologist, USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. Thompson’s research focuses on the impacts of climate change on wildlife and the potential for species to adapt to future changes.
- Kurt Johnson, national climate change scientist, USFWS. A wildlife biologist by training, Johnson studies how climate change affects species and their habitats.
- Erik Beever, research ecologist, USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center. Beever's research focuses on understanding how species (especially mountain-dwelling animals) are affected by climate change and identifying where, when, and which species can accommodate climate change.
