With the climate crisis leading to more frequent and severe droughts, many wildlife species in the lower 48 United States will suffer from year-long droughts almost five times as frequently in the coming decades as they did historically, according to a new study.
Droughts lasting three years could become nearly seven times as frequent, a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said.
Lack of moisture affects how animals compete with each other for resources, contributes to habitat loss and leads to heat stress and dehydration.
“The degree of increased drought exposure for each species in our analysis strongly depends on future greenhouse gas concentrations,” said lead author of the study Dr. Merijn van den Bosch, a postdoctoral researcher at Colorado State University, in the press release. “But even under a lower-concentration scenario, virtually all vertebrates face increased year-long and multi-year droughts in the second half of this century. The implications will depend on the species and the length of the drought.”
The research team found that, from 2050 to 2080, year-long droughts would be nearly five times as frequent as they had been from 1950 to 2005.
Observed change (%) in annual (12-month) and prolonged (36-month) droughts between 1952–1983 and 1991–2021, across Level 3 Ecoregions in the contiguous U.S. Communications Earth & Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01880-z
“Drought, abnormal soil moisture deficits due to low precipitation and excess evapotranspiration, is a major environmental stressor with multifaceted effects on wildlife communities and habitat, including the modification of microbial soil composition, forest die-offs, the proliferation of invasive species, and the destabilization of species interactions through changes in competition and trophic dynamics. Extreme drought, defined as the 1% most severe drought conditions that occurred between 1950 and 2000, is expected to annually affect 30% more land area by the end of the 21st century,” the authors of the study wrote.
One example of an animal having to adapt to a changing climatic landscape is the giant kangaroo rat, an endangered species native to California’s dry habitats. Though giant kangaroo rats have adapted to the occasional short drought, populations can plummet following multi-year droughts. This compounds existing threats, including the loss of almost all their historic habitat.
A giant kangaroo rat, rescued and safely released by a permit holder during a PG&E pipeline excavation project. Increased drought adds to conservation concerns for this endangered species. Ryan Donnelly
The study demonstrated that, in much of the giant kangaroo rat’s remaining range, longer droughts could soon occur much more often.
“That does not bode well for this already-endangered species,” Van den Bosch said.
The populations of many game species not currently at risk will also face droughts lasting one and three years in their ranges more frequently. This includes ungulates like elk, as well as waterfowl, including certain duck species. The shift could have implications for game and wildlife management.
“Drought affects wildlife directly, through physiological impacts that affect survival and fecundity, but also indirectly through the alteration of habitat, resources, and interspecific interactions. Additionally, drought effects on wildlife populations depend on drought duration and intensity. Minimizing biodiversity loss induced by climate change requires not only mitigating climatic change itself but also large-scale assessments of species’ vulnerability to climate change effects such as extreme weather events, to prioritize conservation actions,” the authors wrote in the study.
In order to gain information about places where habitat restoration or adaptive water management could benefit the greatest number of wildlife species, the researchers set out to identify areas that had high levels of biodiversity and were predicted to have large increases in drought.
To predict future scenarios, the team used modeling techniques to come up with six projections of moisture conditions and temperature. They then compared the frequency of predicted and observed drought exposure with range maps of 339 mammals, 349 birds, 253 reptile species and 280 amphibians to create regional summaries.
Average predicted change (%) in annual droughts under (a) RCP 4.5 and (b) RCP 8.5 and prolonged droughts under (c) RCP 4.5 and (d) RCP 8.5 between 1951–2005 and 2050–2080, along with area-weighted terrestrial vertebrate species richness, for the contiguous U.S. Numbers below the x-axis color legend indicate four breaks of percent change in drought between the historical period and average future scenario, species richness is categorized into four equal quantiles along the y-axis legend.
The researchers discovered that, after adjusting for land area, the highest number of overall individual species and the greatest number of species threatened by drought, as well as the highest projected change in drought exposure, were all in the southwestern U.S.
Anastassiya Bornstein / iStock / Getty Images Plus
“Some of the areas expected to see the greatest increase in drought, such as the southwestern U.S., are already quite dry,” said senior author Dr. Zack Steel, a Rocky Mountain Research Station research ecologist, in the press release. “Many species living in these regions are adapted to periodic droughts, but the concern is that if they are already near the limit of what they can tolerate, the large increase in drought we’re expecting can have grave consequences for these ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them.”
The study, “Climate change scenarios forecast increased drought exposure for terrestrial vertebrates in the contiguous United States,” was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
The post Increasing Drought Frequency Brings Threats to U.S. Wildlife, Research Finds appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/drought-frequency-wildlife-impact-us.html
Thoreau wrote in Walden that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which reminds us that life is short and nature fills it beautifully. What are you looking for that can’t be found during an afternoon in nature?
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-time-is-but-the-stream/
Green Living
Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action
Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.
Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:
- Finding a Northwest Passage to the Sea
- Turning the Tide—How Land and Water Shape Our Climate Future
- Learning from Captain Scoresby’s Ten-gallon Fir-Cask
- Earth Savvy?
- Let the Ground Keep Falling Rainwater
- The Sultans of Swag Versus Looking at Clouds from Both Sides Now
- Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube
Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.
The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/
Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!
Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.
[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]
Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.
Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.
The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.
Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles
Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000
Size Range: XS – XL
2. Pure Magnolia
Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.
The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics
Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD
Size Range: 0 – 28
3. Lost in Paris
Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.
Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made
Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options
For More Slow Fashion Content:
4. Wear Your Love
Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.
There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made
Price Range: $680 – $1,700
Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements
5. Larimeloom
Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.
Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes
Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€
Size Range: XS – XL
6. Sister Organics
Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.
Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model
Price Range: £125 – £390
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing
7. Indiebride London
Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.
The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made
Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700
Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)
More Resources For Your Eco Wedding:
10 Secondhand Wedding Dress Sites for the Eco Bride
7 Ethical Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings
17 Brands with Conscious Dresses (great options for bridesmaid dresses in here!)
The post 7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
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