This year December in the Sky Islands proved to be a pleasantly balmy one—perhaps too warm for comfort, given the long-term implications of climate change in the Sky Islands region. Naturally, we all enjoyed the pleasant weather, but 80 degrees in December?! As climatologists predict increasingly warm weather for the planet, what specific effects can we anticipate in the Madrean Archipelago?
One of the most profound results of global warming is increased evaporation—hotter air can hold more moisture, allowing it to essentially “steal” water from plants, bodies of water, and the land itself. Thus, even if we continue to receive historical levels of local precipitation we will nevertheless become more parched overall. Ponds, lakes, and streams will lower or disappear altogether. Soils will dry out, stressing plants which anyway are already heavily taxed by higher rates of evaporation from their foliage, stems, and roots. Witness the death and partial dieback of various trees—oaks and junipers included—in the Patagonia Mountains in 2025. Ultimately, less tree cover translates to more solar radiation striking the earth, leading to hotter temperatures, leading to… You get the picture.
Meanwhile, as fewer streams run, aquatic life and species that depend on riparian areas will suffer greatly or be snuffed out altogether. Essentially all Sky Islands native fish species are already greatly imperiled, making their demise all the more likely.
Witness the federally threatened Sonora chub, which in the entire U.S. is confined to Sycamore Canyon in the Pajarito Mountains: how many droughts away are they from utter ruin? Additionally, any bodies of water that do manage to run the gauntlet of climate change will have higher temperatures, equating to lower oxygen levels. This will diminish some species, while exterminating others. This ecological cascade will greatly change the character and ultimately the biodiversity of our region. On what time scale? We will all have to wait and see.
The effects of climate change on specific species have already been well-documented. Butterflies and other insects emerge prematurely in landscapes largely devoid of their food sources. Birds migrate at the wrong time, also leading to disjunctions with key resources. Native plants flower at the wrong time with few or no species to pollinate them. Is it any wonder, then, that each year scientists and others who closely observe Nature are seeing fewer and fewer species in general? Yes, there are other key factors at play—pollution, habitat destruction, roadkill, overgrazing and so forth—yet climate change serves as a sort of magnifying lens for them all. Ask yourself: do we have fewer or more birds, butterflies, other insects, snakes, lizards, amphibians, etc… than 10, 20, or more years ago? As a career wildlife biologist and professional naturalist the answer is, unfortunately, crystal clear to me.
Rising temperatures with lower moisture levels in various plants is extending the fire “season” to the entire year sometimes. While fire has historically been an endemic ecological component in the Sky Islands, the mega-burns of 2011—look up, for instance, the Horseshoe 2 Fire in the Chiricahuas—seem to be a new thing or at least a previously highly infrequent phenomena in our region. Now, ask me which month is the highest fire danger and I will be at odds to answer. Larger, hotter, and more frequent fires reduce tree and shrub cover, which in turn heats up the ground faster. Seems there are six ways to Sunday to keep getting hotter.
All is not lost, however. There are important individual actions, key daily measures we can all implement, that collectively will help reduce global warming and its effects upon the Sky Islands.
Perhaps the most effective tool for mitigating climate change is education, given that a significant minority of the world’s population seems to think that this is all an elaborate hoax. If the vast majority of the approximately 8.3 billion people on the planet realized the scientific truth and consequences about our rising temperatures, then clearly more positive action would be taken. Talk to others, find out what they know on the topic, and what they are doing in response. In your own home, conserve electricity, select energy-efficient appliances, switch to LED lights and improve your home’s insulation. Power your home with renewable energy sources whenever possible. We live in a highly efficient home where I only turn on the heat or air conditioning once a year to test them.
Unlike economists, an ecologist will tell you to buy less. Refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle—more stuff, whatever it may be, equates to more greenhouse gases, and hence a hotter planet. Travel less, considering a “staycation” where you enjoy our many local natural, cultural, and historic treasures. Conserve water and collect rainwater, as we do at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary, and use it to support native plant species around your home, making it more shady and cool and thus energy efficient.
Create a positive cascade of events and set goals for the new year. You can make a positive difference for the Earth!
Vincent Pinto and his wife, Claudia, run RAVENS-WAY WILD JOURNEYS, their Nature Adventure & Conservation organization devoted to protecting and promoting the unique biodiversity of the Sky Islands region. RWWJ offers a wide variety of private, custom-made courses, birding & biodiversity tours. Visit ravensnatureschool.org