![]() NPS/ Victoria Stauffenberg Change has always been a powerful and often necessary force of nature. National parks and the stories they represent help us to understand and appreciate how much our lives are influenced and interconnected by environmental, historical, and social change but with change inevitably comes loss. As national parks and green spaces everywhere experience large scale climate change, what do we stand to lose? Impacts to Acadia's ClimateAcadia’s climate is changing. While changes in weather take place over minutes, hours, or days, changes in climate are measured over years, decades, or centuries. Weather data have been collected in Acadia since 1916, giving us a window into long-term shifts in the park’s climate. ![]() Graphic courtesy of Monahan & Fisichelli, 2014
Why Is This Rapid Change Happening? Like a sleeping bag on a cold night, natural greenhouse gases perform the essential function of trapping enough heat in the atmosphere to support life on Earth. However, fossil fuel burning, deforestation, large-scale live-stock farming, and other human activities have produced historically high levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere—carbon dioxide levels today are at their highest in three million years. While Earth does go through natural warming and cooling cycles lasting tens of thousands of years, the vast majority of scientists agree that recent changes in Earth’s climate are caused by human-produced greenhouse gases that trap heat close to the planet’s surface. What Do We Stand To Lose?Acadia has already seen the loss of some of its major species, without a significant reduction in greenhouse emissions, there is a chance that some of these fragile pieces could be lost forever:
Changes Seen Near and Far
What's Next?Without a major reduction in these global greenhouse gas emissions, scientists project the following trends in Acadia’s climate over the next century:
![]() NPS/ Kent Miller Climate change is already altering Acadia’s ecosystems and the experience of visiting the park—but projecting the impacts of these changes is a complex science. Some natural cycles like seasonal rainfall, species migration, and tree death already take place but are exacerbated by climate change. Small shifts can set off domino effects; for instance, warming temperatures melt snow in the mountains and expose darker-colored ground that in turn absorbs more heat, leading to more snowmelt. Still other changes are driven by complex interactions between climate and fire management practices, natural drought, animal behavior, invasive species, and human use of the park. By studying the shifts we are already seeing in Acadia, we can better understand the meaning of conservation in a time of change. New Roles for ParksNational parks take on new roles in a time of large-scale change. They provide refuge to threatened species, protect critical water supplies, and serve as outdoor laboratories for scientists to study changes and impacts. They are also centers of teaching and learning, where millions of people come together to connect with the natural world, our history, and each other. ![]() NPS Photo/Victoria Stauffenberg How You Can HelpYou are a part of this equation, too. Visits to Acadia—now up to an estimated 3.3 million per year—are strongly influenced by weather, and therefore, over the long-term, the changing climate. The park now experiences a longer busy season. With a workforce composed largely of seasonal employees, it is difficult for the park to adjust to the longer season. The increase in visitation is contributing to crowding, sometimes unsafe conditions, and damage to natural resources at favorite destinations such as Cadillac Mountain. The park is now engaged in creating a new transportation plan in hopes of resolving some of these challenges and continuing to provide high-quality experiences for visitors. Ways to Learn and Help
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Jacquelyn Gill, a paleoecologist and Assistant Professor of climate science at the University of Maine, discusses coring and "tasting" the ice age. National Park Service and Schoodic Institute staff assisted with coring in 2016. |
Last updated: August 4, 2021