Effects of climate change on ecological disturbance in the northern Rockies

By: , and 
Edited by: Jessica E. Halofsky and David L. Peterson

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Abstract

Disturbances alter ecosystem, community, or population structure and change elements of the biological and/or physical environment. Climate changes can alter the timing, magnitude, frequency, and duration of disturbance events, as well as the interactions of disturbances on a landscape, and climate change may already be affecting disturbance events and regimes. Interactions among disturbance regimes, such as the cooccurrence in space and time of bark beetle outbreaks and wildfires, can result in highly visible, rapidly occurring, and persistent changes in landscape composition and structure. Understanding how altered disturbance patterns and multiple disturbance interactions might result in novel and emergent landscape behaviors is critical for addressing climate change impacts and for designing land management strategies that are appropriate for future climates This chapter describes the ecology of important disturbance regimes in the Northern Rockies region, and potential shifts in these regimes as a consequence of observed and projected climate change. We summarize five disturbance types present in the Northern Rockies that are sensitive to a changing climate--wildfires, bark beetles, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), other forest diseases, and nonnative plant invasions—and provide information that can help managers anticipate how, when, where, and why climate changes may alter the characteristics of disturbance regimes.
Publication type Book chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Title Effects of climate change on ecological disturbance in the northern Rockies
Chapter 7
ISBN 978-3-319-56927-7
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56928-4_7
Volume 63
Year Published 2018
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) Alaska Science Center Geography
Description 27 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Monograph
Larger Work Title Climate change and Rocky Mountain ecosystems; Advances in Global Change Research v. 63
First page 115
Last page 141
Country United States
Other Geospatial Rocky Mountains
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