Greenhouse Effect/Global Warming

Global warming is the gradual increase in Earth’s temperature. Due to global warming and the increasingly warmer climate winters have become warmer and shorter, and summers have become hotter and longer. At Rocky Mountain National Park climate change has taken a huge toll on the environment. A reliable indicator of this climate change is the movement of water. For example, over the past thirty years scientists have observed runoff from alpine snow fields, lakes, and rivers into the park’s paths. The winter snowfall creates what is called “a natural reservoir” of water in the mountains and releases that water steadily throughout the spring and summer months, this is a paramount source of waters for the park’s wildlife. However, because of global warming and the rising temperature, the snow melts earlier in the year, this leads to an extended period of time during the summer, with low level rivers, as well as dry soil and plants. This seemingly small change, has greatly affected the animals and plants in the park. A specific species that has been affected by climate change is the pine beetle. Before climate change during the cold winter many of these beetles died and their population was regulated, but now because of the warmer winters caused by climate change the beetles have not died during the winter. Therefore, the beetle population has not been regulated, and has even gotten out of control. The warmer weather in the summers also allows the beetles to speed up development and reproduction, only increasing their growing population. This growing population can offset the ecosystem and affect other species as well. Climate change also causes very unpredictable weather patterns, such as drought. Currently, the park is growing through a drought, which leaves the trees with little moisture, causing them to be prone to forest fires.