Re: climate change case studies

2007-10-26 Thread Paul Cherubini
Lucas Moyer-Horner wrote:

> Anita, Below are two excellent case studies that are near
> and dear to my heart. As far as i know, this is the first
> evidence of a small-medium sized mammal being extirpated
> by rising temperatures.

> Beever, E.A., Brussard, P.F. and Berger, J. 2003. Patterns of
> apparent extirpation among isolated populations of pikas
> (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin.  Journal of Mammalogy
> 84(1):37-54

> Grayson, D.K. 2005. A brief history of Great Basin Pikas.
> Journal of biogeography 32:2103-2111.

Lucas, according to this article:
http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=15849

"In the early 1990s, E.A Beever revisited 25 Great Basin pika
populations recorded by Eugene Raymond Hall and others
about half a century earlier and found six of the 25 populations
had completely disappeared."

The 25 pika populations that were monitored were located
primarily within Nevada:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikaa.jpg

Now lets look at how much temperatures rose in Nevada
between 1920 and 1993 using National Climate Center Data
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html

Here is the winter (Dec-Feb) temperature graph for Nevada
the period 1920-1993:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikab.jpg
A very slight warming trend is apparent

Here is the summer (June-August) temperature graph for
Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikad.jpg
A slight cooling trend is apparent.

Here is the overall annual temperature graph for
Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikac.jpg
A very slight cooling trend is apparent.

Lucas, I am now wondering why you and other scientists
think the Great Basin pika "is the first evidence of a
small-medium sized mammal being extirpated by rising
temperatures".

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.


Re: climate change case studies

2007-10-25 Thread Ned Dochtermann
It is curious that your graphs go to 1920 and no further back, despite the
availability of data. Looking solely at the summer temperatures it appears that
1922 and 23 have a considerable impact on the trend. Alas I've not been able to
duplicate the sort of figures you're produced but messing around on the site
seems to indicate a very, very different trend if you include 1895 through to
1993.

Also, if you skim through the Beever et al. 2003 paper, you'll find that pika
are purportedly quite sensitive to what you seem to view as small temperature
changes, and that it is maximums not averages that seem to be primary factors.



Ned Dochtermann



Quoting Paul Cherubini <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:

> Lucas Moyer-Horner wrote:
>
> > Anita, Below are two excellent case studies that are near
> > and dear to my heart. As far as i know, this is the first
> > evidence of a small-medium sized mammal being extirpated
> > by rising temperatures.
>
> > Beever, E.A., Brussard, P.F. and Berger, J. 2003. Patterns of
> > apparent extirpation among isolated populations of pikas
> > (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin.  Journal of Mammalogy
> > 84(1):37-54
>
> > Grayson, D.K. 2005. A brief history of Great Basin Pikas.
> > Journal of biogeography 32:2103-2111.
>
> Lucas, according to this article:
> http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=15849
>
> "In the early 1990s, E.A Beever revisited 25 Great Basin pika
> populations recorded by Eugene Raymond Hall and others
> about half a century earlier and found six of the 25 populations
> had completely disappeared."
>
> The 25 pika populations that were monitored were located
> primarily within Nevada:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikaa.jpg
>
> Now lets look at how much temperatures rose in Nevada
> between 1920 and 1993 using National Climate Center Data
> http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html
>
> Here is the winter (Dec-Feb) temperature graph for Nevada
> the period 1920-1993:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikab.jpg
> A very slight warming trend is apparent
>
> Here is the summer (June-August) temperature graph for
> Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikad.jpg
> A slight cooling trend is apparent.
>
> Here is the overall annual temperature graph for
> Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikac.jpg
> A very slight cooling trend is apparent.
>
> Lucas, I am now wondering why you and other scientists
> think the Great Basin pika "is the first evidence of a
> small-medium sized mammal being extirpated by rising
> temperatures".
>
> Paul Cherubini
> El Dorado, Calif.
>


Re: climate change case studies

2007-10-25 Thread Lucas Moyer-Horner
Paul,

In the Beever et al (2003) article, you can see that the extirpated sites are 
primarily located in the northwest corner of Nevada and southern Oregon, so 
temperature averages for the entire state of Nevada are not particularly 
informative.  In this paper, the authors found that the strongest predictor of 
extirpation was maximum talus elevation.  That is to say that the lowest 
elevation sites were being lost disproportionately.  Given this fact and 
knowledge of the adiabatic lapse rate, it is not particularly surprising that 
extirpated sites had 7.7 - 10% higher daily maximum temperatures than those of 
extant sites during June, July, and August (months during which pika are most 
actively foraging).  

At this point the connection between pika extirpation and temperature is 
correlative, but there is good evidence that pika are particularly sensitive 
(physiologically) to even moderately high temperatures (AT Smith. 1974. Ecology 
55:1368-1376).  Work is now being done by myself and others to explore 
mechanistic hypotheses.

Lucas Moyer-Horner
UW-Madison


Re: climate change case studies

2007-10-25 Thread Malcolm McCallum
Maybe you should read the actual peer reviewed paper instead of a news
article...

http://faculty.washington.edu/grayson/grayson-pikas.pdf

This study was covering the last 40,000 years.

Currently we are dealing with global temperatures, local and regional
temperatures may decline despite rising global averages.  IF you are
familiar with averages, you will realize that Nevada could have a mild
cooling, while other areas have even moderate warming and still result
with an overall rise in temperature.

For hypothetical example:

year 1 Ave Temperature in Nevada = 70F
year 1 Ave T in Texas = 69F
year 2 ave T in Nev = 69 F
year 2 ave T in Texas = 71F

Under this hypothetical example the temperature in Nevada dropped 1F while
the temperature in TX rose 2F so...

The ave year 1 temp = (70+69)/2 = 139/2 = 69.5F
The ave year 2 temp = (69+71)/2 = 140/2 = 70F

In the above realistic example, the average temperature rose by 0.5F but
the local NV temperature dropped.

Anyone with the capacity for basic addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division skills, and the time, can collect the data from around the
globe and calculate the results, an increased global temperature.

Back to the Pika paper..
They are comparing temperatures over geologic time periods.  It is fairly
well known that 10,000 years ago a glacier (the great wisconsian)covered
much of the US and that NV was much colder then than it is now.  I think
we learn about the glaciers in secondary school, at least I did in 5 th
grade.  Of course, the variation in public and private education varies
much across the U.S.

I hope this helps you understand the math and the concept.
For more information, you can read the full reports of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/

Certainly, if you can read the document (it doesn't require scientific
training, but it would help) you will find much explanation of how they
arived at their conclusions, how they collected the data, how they
interpreted it, and ultimately why we think temperatures are rising.

Enjoy.









On Thu, October 25, 2007 2:48 am, Paul Cherubini wrote:
> Lucas Moyer-Horner wrote:
>
>> Anita, Below are two excellent case studies that are near
>> and dear to my heart. As far as i know, this is the first
>> evidence of a small-medium sized mammal being extirpated
>> by rising temperatures.
>
>> Beever, E.A., Brussard, P.F. and Berger, J. 2003. Patterns of
>> apparent extirpation among isolated populations of pikas
>> (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin.  Journal of Mammalogy
>> 84(1):37-54
>
>> Grayson, D.K. 2005. A brief history of Great Basin Pikas.
>> Journal of biogeography 32:2103-2111.
>
> Lucas, according to this article:
> http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=15849
>
> "In the early 1990s, E.A Beever revisited 25 Great Basin pika
> populations recorded by Eugene Raymond Hall and others
> about half a century earlier and found six of the 25 populations
> had completely disappeared."
>
> The 25 pika populations that were monitored were located
> primarily within Nevada:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikaa.jpg
>
> Now lets look at how much temperatures rose in Nevada
> between 1920 and 1993 using National Climate Center Data
> http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html
>
> Here is the winter (Dec-Feb) temperature graph for Nevada
> the period 1920-1993:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikab.jpg
> A very slight warming trend is apparent
>
> Here is the summer (June-August) temperature graph for
> Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikad.jpg
> A slight cooling trend is apparent.
>
> Here is the overall annual temperature graph for
> Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
> http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikac.jpg
> A very slight cooling trend is apparent.
>
> Lucas, I am now wondering why you and other scientists
> think the Great Basin pika "is the first evidence of a
> small-medium sized mammal being extirpated by rising
> temperatures".
>
> Paul Cherubini
> El Dorado, Calif.
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
http://www.herpconbio.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


Re: climate change case studies

2007-10-25 Thread Paul Cherubini
Lucas Moyer-Horner wrote:

> Anita, Below are two excellent case studies that are near
> and dear to my heart. As far as i know, this is the first
> evidence of a small-medium sized mammal being extirpated
> by rising temperatures.

> Beever, E.A., Brussard, P.F. and Berger, J. 2003. Patterns of
> apparent extirpation among isolated populations of pikas
> (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin.  Journal of Mammalogy
> 84(1):37-54

> Grayson, D.K. 2005. A brief history of Great Basin Pikas.
> Journal of biogeography 32:2103-2111.

Lucas, according to this article:
http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=15849

"In the early 1990s, E.A Beever revisited 25 Great Basin pika
populations recorded by Eugene Raymond Hall and others
about half a century earlier and found six of the 25 populations
had completely disappeared."

The 25 pika populations that were monitored were located
primarily within Nevada:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikaa.jpg

Now lets look at how much temperatures rose in Nevada
between 1920 and 1993 using National Climate Center Data
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html

Here is the winter (Dec-Feb) temperature graph for Nevada
the period 1920-1993:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikab.jpg
A very slight warming trend is apparent

Here is the summer (June-August) temperature graph for
Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikad.jpg
A slight cooling trend is apparent.

Here is the overall annual temperature graph for
Nevada for the period 1920-1993:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/pikac.jpg
A very slight cooling trend is apparent.

Lucas, I am now wondering why you and other scientists
think the Great Basin pika "is the first evidence of a
small-medium sized mammal being extirpated by rising
temperatures".

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.