Climate Change Effects Prompt American Pika Status Review
Following an initial review of a petition seeking to protect the American pika under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the American pika may warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species.
The Service will undertake an in-depth, scientific review of the American pika to determine whether to propose adding the species to the federal list of threatened and endangered wildlife and plants. The petition provides information suggesting that climate change may have effects resulting in individual mortality, population extirpations, and reduced species range for the pika.
Sea Level Rise Simulations Now Available OnlineThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a new user-friendly internet tool that allows the public to view simulations of sea level rise. Released in honor of Earth Day, this program is designed to help people understand the potential impacts of climate change on sea levels.
The Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM)-View is a web browser-based application that displays map pairs of the same area, each at different sea levels. The strength of this tool is its ability to visually show the modeling of sea level rise predictions, allowing people to see the impacts in a more intuitive way.
Visit the Cheseapeake Bay Field Office site to see the simulations in action.
$1 Million Donation Helps Service, Partners Combat Climate Change EffectsA $1 million donation from Duke Energy is helping the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy and other partners help wildlife adapt to the effects of climate change on North Carolina's east coast.
The donation will fund climate change research and adaptation for a pilot project that focuses on the effect of rising sea levels on the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.