Unsure about Climate Change? Just ask your Local Fish and Big-Game Species

Glaciers are receding, the lengths of seasons are changing, and many areas in the western United States are undergoing drought. However, some people still aren't certain if climate change is a long-term event or temporary trend. So why not look at those that will be most affected by the impacts of climate change on our Rocky Mountain ecosystems: wildlife? That is what USGS scientists and collaborators are doing. Two studies are underway to examine how climate change may be impacting the habitats of native fish (cutthroat trout, grayling and bull trout) and big game (elk, moose, mule deer and pronghorn antelope). The goal of both projects is to provide tools that will help wildlife managers predict potential climate-change-induced impacts on wildlife throughout the Rocky Mountains and the interior western United States. For more information, visit http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/science/feature/wildlife_climate or contact Jeff Kershner at 406-994-5304 or jkershner@usgs.gov.