Potential Climate Change Impacts

Impacts on Species

• Each 1°C of warming will shift temperature zones by about 100 miles northward (or 500 feet in elevation)
  • Many plant and animal species will be unable to migrate fast enough to find suitable habitats
  • Natural or man-made barriers may block natural migration
• Climate change poses risks to major US national parks (Everglades, Glacier National Park)
• An increase of 3°C could threaten 7-11% of North America's plant species
• Northern limits of many birds strongly associated with climate
• Loss of cold-water fish habitat of 1.7-2.3 million acres by 2060