Northwest wildlife hits hottest list
We all want to be on the "A List," unless that list puts you in the running for the wildlife most negatively affected by climate change. A report from the Endangered Species Coalition puts some of our favorite wildlife in the hot seat.
As the earth warms and ecosystems change, several key Northwest species have made a list they probably would rather avoid. Photo: globalchange.gov
A new report from the Endangered Species Coalition, of which we are a member, names the top 10 "hottest" wildlife in North America affected by climate change, and the Northwest's wildlands feature four of those top ten.
The silent hottie: Canada lynx. A boreal specialists, the lynx is small but powerful wild cat that mostly eat snowshoe hares, which in turn need, you guessed it, snow to thrive. With big, big paws, lynx are adapted to smooth, efficient movement on snow. They are excellent hunters. Some 100 plus lynx live in northern Washington, largely in the Loomis Forest. Prime lynx habitat also exists in the Columbia Highlands.
The wet hotties: Bull trout and Pacific salmon. These fish all need ample, cool, clear waters for spawning. Freshwater ecosystems and their denizens are proving particularly sensitive to a warming planet and declines in species diversity in these systems have been documented worldwide. Pacific salmon also need coolish waters at sea when feeding. Salmon themselves lend food to as many as 150 other species, including one we are particularly attached to, humans. Rising acidity of ocean waters is another big problem for salmon.
The big hottie: Grizzly bear. Grizzlies are denning later in the fall as climates warm. That puts them increasingly at risk of human encounters, meetings that often end in death to bears. Warming is also causing a decline in important natural grizzly bear food sources, in particular, whitebark pine, a favorite and essential, seasonal high calorie food for bears. There are thought to be only 10 to 20 grizzly bears remaining in the North Cascades: The last thing they need is to be "hottest." [Take action for grizzly]
The Northwest frequently hits the "best of" lists, for example, best places to live for clean water, clean air, outdoor opportunities, and wildlife. Wildlife? Being at the top of this hottest endangered species list is nothing but bad news for the Northwest's wildlife, but it's encouragement for us all to do a lot more to protect them and the wild areas where they live.
[Help ensure wildlife have the habitat they need to keep cool] [Learn more about predicted climate change impacts in the Northwest]
