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Decreasing Habitat for Coldwater Fish
Increasing air temperatures lead to rising water temperatures, which increase stress on coldwater fish such as trout, salmon, and steelhead. August average air temperature above 70°F is a threshold above which these fish are severely stressed. Projected temperatures for the 2020s and 2040s under a higher emissions scenario suggest that the habitat for these fish is likely to decrease dramatically.1,2,3,4 Image Reference: University of Washington5
References
- 1. [486] Mote, P., E. Salathe, V. Duliere, and E. Jump. Scenarios of Future Climate for the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, WA: Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington, 2008.
- 2. [497] Salathe, E. P.. "Downscaling Simulations of Future Global Climate with Application to Hydrologic Modelling." International Journal of Climatology 25, no. 4 (2005): 419-436.
- 3. [568] Keleher, C. J., and F. J. Rahel. "Thermal Limits to Salmonid Distributions in the Rocky Mountain Region and Potential Habitat Loss due to Global Warming: A Geographic Information System (GIS) Approach." Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 125, no. 1 (1996): 1-13.
- 4. [569] McCullough, D., S. Spalding, D. Sturdevant, and M. Hicks. Issue Paper 5: Summary of Technical Literature Examining the Physiological Effects of Temperature on Salmonids In U.S. EPA Region 10 Temperature Water Quality Criteria Guidance Development Project. Seattle, WA: EPA Pacific Northwest Regional Office (Region 10), 2001.
- 5. [490] various. footnote 490., 2009.
Summary
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