PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN NATIONAL-PARKS AND OTHER NATURAL AREAS

Predictions of human-induced climatic change are important to the future of many national parks and other protected natural areas, all of which were established under the assumption of a coastal climate. The most significant components of climate change may be shifts in disturbance regimes and in local extremes of temperature, drought, etc. These changes will exacerbate such other human-induced changes as pollution, habitat fragmentation, and the spread of non-native species. The paper reviews current knowledge of the effects of climate change, with specific reference to management planning and the potential need for change in user expectations in the Pacific Northwest.