Global warming will push Canada’s forests further north, as trees and other plants search out colder climes more suitable for forests. However not all trees will be able to migrate and colonize so quickly. Many will be left struggling to survive in less-than-ideal conditions. Canada’s boreal forests will also move north, eventually taking over the tundra. This could drive away or obliterate the creatures that now live in the tundra, such as lemmings, ptarmigans, Arctic foxes, caribou and musk oxen. The northward advance of boreal forests will also likely affect migratory birds such as geese and waders, which use the tundra as an important staging area for their long voyages.
Climate Change - Impact on Canada
Nature. Canada has the third largest amount of glaciers, and is home to the 10 per cent of the world’s forests and freshwater resources, and a quarter of the world’s wetlands. But from the glaciers and tundra in the Arctic to the fish that thrive in our waters, our bounty of nature stands to be diminished considerably because of climate change.
Serious implications for Arctic wildlife
Over the past 50 years, partS of Canada’s Arctic have experienced AVERAGE temperature increases of as much as 3°C to 4°C – an increase far greater than anywhere else on the planet. Nearly one million square kilometers of sea-ice have already disappeared, posing serious implications for resident wildlife such as polar bears, walrus, seals and whales that have evolved in ice-dominated ecosystems. The outlook is particularly dire for polar bears, which could become extinct in southern parts of their current range before the end of this century as the sea ice they depend on for hunting seals and other prey disappears during ever-lengthening summers. Some scientists predict the disappearance of all summer Arctic sea ice by as early as 2013. Changes in snow cover have also been linked to declines in the hare, caribou and musk ox population in the Arctic.Northward migrations for Canada’s forests
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Rising sea levels and endangered coasts
Reduced sea ice and rising sea levels will leave our coastlines open to storm surges and high waves. The result: severe coastal erosion and flooded wetlands – outcomes likely to upset the balance of natural ecosystems. The Geological Survey of Canada points to parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence as among those areas most vulnerable to rising sea levels. Thawing permafrost will also weaken Arctic coastal lands, making them even more vulnerable to future catastrophes.
Higher temperatures, lower fresh water levels
Studies of the Athabasca River and the Great Lakes regions show increases in mean temperatures and decreases in water levels over the last 50 years. Between 1958 and 2003, flows in the Athabasca River declined by about 20 per cent. In the Great Lakes, water levels remained consistently low during record hot and dry years between 1998 and 2001. Scientists expect these trends to continue in the coming decades and to be reflected in other fresh water systems in the country.
More frequent spells of extreme weather
Depending on what part of the country you live, expect climate change to bring frequent occurrences of extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy spring rains, or prolonged periods of drought. Urban centres will be particularly prone to dangerous hot spells thanks to the combination of warming and the “urban heat island effect” of concentrated buildings retaining heat.