 Challenges
 Long term and not intuitive
 Uncertainty
 Effects not uniform in Wisconsin
 How do we make sense of the information?
 How do we discuss what we have learned with others?
 Polar bears work for some but not others
 Step 1 – Learn about the basics (Nancy and Shiba)
 Understand the lingo
 Step 2 – Translate (Cathy)
Weather
 The state of the atmosphere at a particular time, as defined by variables such as temperature, precipitation or winds.
Climate
 The "average weather" over a period ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. Climate Change  A departure from the expected average weather patterns.
NOAA
Mitigation
 The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something
Adaptation
 A change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment
Preparedness
 A state of readiness
Resiliency
 An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
Oxford Dictionary
Scale the information to a relevant region:
Predictions for Central Wisconsin
Year round increase in average temperatures and increased temperature extremes
 Less ice fishing and snowmobiling
 Shorter or no ice cave visitors
 $12 million in 2014
 Increased evaporation
 Lower lake levels
 Longer growing season during the summer  More algae and aquatic plants
 More lakes with hazardous algal blooms (HABs)
Warmer water temperatures will allow more aquatic invasive species to exist and even thrive.
Gizzard Shad
Hydrilla
Green Sunfish
25
Percent of time
82°F
0
Yellow 75°F
Perch
25
0
64°F
25
Rainbow
Trout
0
50
63 75 82 Temperature (°F)
95
Magnuson
Changes in Precipitation in Wisconsin: 1950‐2006
http://ccr.aos.wisc.edu/climate_modeling/Wisconsin_Climate/
Precipitation Predictions for Wisconsin: More Extremes!
Number of Days with Precipitation above 3 inches
Number of Days with Precipitation Below 3 mm
http://cida.usgs.gov/climate/derivative/
Projected changes in mid‐century fish distributions (stream miles)
Brook trout
Response of 50 common stream fishes to highest temperature scenario:
Current
1.4°F = 44% loss
• All 3 coldwater species decline
• All 16 coolwater species decline
• 4 warmwater species decline
4.3°F = 94% loss
7.2°F = total loss
• 23 warmwater species increase
Water Resources in Wisconsin and Climate Change
http://climatewisconsin.org/story/fly‐fishing