Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife

Climate change in the Great Lakes region and beyond is expected to promote shifts in the ranges and phenology of well-known plant and animal species. These shifts are often a result of changes in the availability of food and shelter, as well as temperature. Knowing more about these potential impacts will help wildlife managers and nature enthusiasts alike to adapt to and potentially mitigate some of the resulting changes in wildlife diversity.

This webinar will cover:

  • An overview of potential climate change impacts on wildlife
  • Effects of a changing climate on the phenology of migratory birds
  • Impacts of shifting climate conditions (such as drought and flooding) on the vulnerability of species of special concern
  • Climate change effects on Broad-tailed Hummingbirds as a result of shifts in the timing of flowering of their nectar flowers glacier lily, dwarf larkspur, and Indian paintbrush, which they rely on during spring migration

About the Speaker(s)

Amy Iler

Amy Iler

Amy Iler is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Maryland and The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. She earned her Ph.D. in Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology from The Ohio State University in 2010. Evidence of declining pollination services, a critical ecosystem service, motivated her to study how plant invasions affect the delivery of pollination services to native plants. Currently, she combines observational and experimental field studies with demographic modeling to study how climate change affects the timing of flowering, plant population dynamics, and hummingbird migration in the subalpine meadows of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg

Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg

Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg is an assistant professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Zuckerberg received his Ph.D. from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and later served as a research scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. His research focuses on how climate change and habitat loss impacts wildlife populations. He is a strong advocate for the role of volunteers and the public in data collection. Using the data from these “citizen science” programs, his lab focuses on studying shifting species distributions and phenology in response to a changing climate.

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What Attendees Are Saying

  • “ Here in Minnesota we're using the webinars to provide current research updates. The information is pertinent and timely and by using the OSU webinars for content, we can spend time working on other aspects of climate adaptation. – B. Liukkonen, U of MN Extension

  • “ This is one of the most useful and accessible resources in the Great Lakes basin. Consider it a cornerstone of a growing network of climate professionals in this region. ”

  • “ Thank you, OSU, for providing such a useful tool! Keep’em coming! ”

  • “ Thanks for these webinars. A great resource. ”

Featured Presentations

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    Dr. Jonathan Patz

    University of Wisconsin
    Climate Change in the Great Lakes: Key Vulnerabilities to Public Health in the Region. Read more.

  • 2010-11-02
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    Ohio State University
    Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Great Lakes Farms and Forests. Read more.

  • 2010-10-14
    Dr. Dan Herms

    Ohio State University
    Effects of Climate Change on Species Interactions in Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems. Read more.

  • 2011-01-11
    Dr. Peter Curtis

    Ohio State University
    Managing Great Lakes Forests for Climate Change Mitigation Read more.

  • 2010-12-07
    Dr. Anthony D. Kendall

    Michigan State University
    Climate Change, Biofuels, and Land Use Legacy Read more.