Introduction to the indicators
A technical working group has been established to guide the development of a long-term monitoring program to support the implementation of the Strategic Forest Management Plan for the Champagne and Aishihik Traditional Territory. The intent of this monitoring program is to record observations on the status and trends of key environmental, social and economic variables that may be important to inform forest management decision-making in the region, and to track the performance of various forest management activities in achieving desired management outcomes. The monitoring program will assist with efforts to adaptively manage the forests in this region. This project, Forest Management in a Changing Climate: Building the Environmental Information Base for Southwest Yukon, has contributed a preliminary set of climate-related indicators, based on existing information, for tracking under the SFMP monitoring program.
What is a climate change indicator?
An indicator describes changes in average temperature and precipitation and other properties of the climate system, as well as key environmental features that are considered to be sensitive to climate. Air temperature is the most easily measured, directly observable and geographically consistent indicator of climate change (BCMWLP, 2002). Warmer air temperatures affect other parts of the climate system including precipitation, wind and the hydrological cycle, and have affects on ecosystems, societies and economies. Climate change indicators are used to reflect changes to climate and the environment during the past century and are important tools for tracking and understanding the impacts of climate change. The greatest challenge in developing climate change indicators is the availability of long-term data from which trends can be detected.
Climate change indicators for the southwest Yukon
Recent trends in a number of climate change indicators suggest that the southwest Yukon is starting to show early impacts of climate change. However, for several of the indicators it is difficult to clearly attribute the observed trends to global climate change with the information that is currently available. Therefore, it is important that these indicators be tracked over a long period of time; especially since the magnitude of global climate change is expected to increase in the coming decades. In addition, the longer the time frame, the more certain we can be about whether or not a trend in an indicator is reflecting long-term changes in climate rather than natural short-term variations or cycles that change every few years or decades or other non-climate factors.
The following climate-related indicators have been developed for the Southwest Yukon:
Further work on the existing indicators and the development of additional indicators is required to expand our understanding of the impacts of climate change on the forest resources in this region. Please contact aogden@interchange.ubc.ca to let us know if you have additional historical information or data to contribute to our understanding of climate change in this region. We are particularly interested in refining the current list of indicators, and developing new indicators on glacial retreat, permafrost, streamflow, ice-free season, vegetation response, ecosystem dynamics and treeline movement. As well, we are interested in feedback on aspects of the local society and economy that are sensitive to changes in climate for which data exists and an indicator can be developed.
Useful information sources
B.C. Ministry of Water Lands and Parks. 2002. Indicators of Climate Change for British Columbia. http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/pac/climate/ccprint_page/pdf/indcc.pdf
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2003. Climate, Nature, People: Indicators of Canada's Changing Climate. http://www.ccme.ca/assets/pdf/cc_ind_full_doc_e.pdf
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