Yosemite National Park’s environment is healthy in many ways, yet Climate change is already altering its ecosystems and the experience of visiting the Park. Projecting the impacts of these changes is a complex science. Some natural cycles like wildfire, seasonally dry waterfalls, and tree death already occur but are exacerbated by climate change.
Some of the effects of climate change in Yosemite National Park include; Shrinking glaciers- From 1883–2017, the surface area of Yosemite’s two active glaciers (Lyell Glacier and Maclure Glacier) decreased by 67–78%. Up to 16% of that loss took place during the historic drought of 2012–2015 alone. According to park geologists' measurements over 2009–2012, the Maclure Glacier is still moving downhill at around one inch per day, meaning that it likely no longer meets the definition of a glacier (Stock et al., 2017). Dwindling snowpack and dry waterfalls inside Yosemite may cause waterfalls to dry out early. This Low-snowpack years in Yosemite has seen over six times as many lightning-ignited fires as years with high snowpack (Keeley & Syphard, 2016). Multi-year periods of low spring snowpack and corresponding high drought conditions have also triggered trees' high mortality rates. Warmer temperatures and intensifying droughts have made Yosemite's forests more vulnerable to large-scale attacks from insects such as the fungus responsible for sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum), the invasive shot-hole borer beetle (Euwallacea sp.) (Stephenson et al., 2019).
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Without a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are projecting the following by 2100; Dramatic snowpack loss leads to more fires; models project an increase in Yosemite's number of annual fires leading to a proportionate increase in the annual area burned.
Based on current rates of loss, glaciers are likely to disappear from Yosemite’s peaks within decades. Some scientists project tree mortality to continue to climb with up to a 15–20% increase in tree death for each additional degree of warming (Stephenson et al., 2019).
To mitigate these impacts, Yosemite national park has developed the following actions; reduced fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions from park facilities and operations, increased use of lower greenhouse-gas-emitting alternative fuels, and alternatively fueled vehicles within the Park. Free shuttles provide access to Yosemite Valley destinations and the Mariposa Grove. As of 2020, 24 of these vehicles are diesel-electric hybrids, while two are fully electric. Waste management: To reduce waste-related greenhouse gas emissions, Yosemite NP has developed an incentive program for waste reduction, including feasible ways to recycle propane bottles that need to be processed as hazardous waste composting organic food. Improved solid junk hauling efficiency by developing waste-management partnerships between the Park and the County. Increased climate change outreach and education, to lead by example and demonstrate climate-friendly behavior for the public, Yosemite NP has increased outreach and education efforts related to sharing the successes it has already achieved. These actions include creating climate change information on park shuttle busses literature and signage, creating signs describing buildings' energy-efficiency, and developing information on green material uses at the Park.
References
Keeley, J., & Syphard, A. (2016). Climate change and future fire regimes: Examples from California. Geosciences, 6(3), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences6030037
Stephenson, N. L., Das, A. J., Ampersee, N. J., Bulaon, B. M., & Yee, J. L. (2019). Which trees die during drought? The key role of insect host‐tree selection. Journal of Ecology, 107(5), 2383-2401. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13176
Stock, G. M., Anderson, R. S., Painter, T. H., Henn, B., & Lundquist, J. D. (2017). Impending loss of Little Ice Age glaciers in Yosemite National Park. https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017am-299617
