Ecoregion: Desert Arid Page: 3
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Much of the pupfish's food and its areas for spawning are located in shallow water.
Through increasing temperatures and decreasing the water table, climate change may
threaten the small pupfish population's ability to survive. A warmer climate may push
the temperature range above the point at which pupfish eggs can survive. In addition,
higher temperatures and less precipitation may lower the water table. While the
water table has been decreasing slowly for thousands of years, climate change may
accelerate this process. This lowering of the water level may shrink the shallow areas
in which the pupfish spawn dry and decrease their chances of survival.18
PROFILING A CLIMATE STEWARD
Every spring, thousands of people flock to the deserts of the southwestern United
States to observe the beautiful blooming of desert plants. The blooming season
usually occurs from March until June, with the peak time depending upon many
variables such as that year's temperature, rainfall, and/or snowfall. Significant
changes in climate will affect the blooming and leafing of plants in all ecosystems,
especially the desert.
Desert ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Warmer
temperatures and decreased rainfall can adversely affect these fragile ecosystems
that are often biodiversity "hotspots," home to many rare plants and animals.
Unfortunately, current climate models predict that in the coming decades, the
deserts of the American Southwest will become drier.19 In order to detect and
monitor the impacts of climate change on desert ecosystems, climate scientists
require continuously gathered data on changes in flora and fauna.
The study of phenology, literally "the
science of appearance," is an effective
way to make climate change real to
students, teachers, and the public. Plants
provide an easily accessible context for
observing environmental change. In Project
BudBurst (www.budburst.org), a national
field campaign studying the impacts of
the changing climate on plant phenology,
students and other volunteers make
important phenological observations,
including the dates of first leaf / budburst, BudBurst/First Leaf reports during 2008 Prc
first flower, last flower, and seed dispersal. BudBurstm
)ject
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U.S. Global Change Research Program. Ecoregion: Desert Arid, text, June 2009; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29333/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .