The Prairie Peninsula and Climate Change

Abstract

ABSTRACT Transition and recovery from prolonged effects of climate change on an ecosystem will be affected by geography, topography, and plant physiology. Fire, grazing, flooding, succession, biodiversity, invasive species, and stewardship all affect the “resilience” (the capacity to recover) of an ecosystem to the effects of long-term changes in weather patterns. These significant “controls” should be part of climate change discussions. Research from various disciplines suggests that the actions of humans on the landscape minimized and/or ameliorated some of the impacts of past changes in climate. Today, stewardship and restoration efforts may mitigate some of the effects of climate change, especially in fire-dependent natural communities.