EPA has included "bird winter ranges" as one of 24 indicators in a new report on climate change indicators. The data is from 40 years of Natl Audubon Socy Christmas Bird Count. They analyzed both an average northward shift in 300+ spp in winter distribution and also an inland shift from coastal areas.
The EPA link is provided below. The bird indicator is in the section "Soc'y & Ecosystems". (do control + click; if that doesnt work you can copy and paste to the internet url) At the end of the report is a chapter "Technical Info about Indicators". The treatment of the bird data begins on p. 146 in that review. Here they treat "confounding" variables like bird feeders and the species that did not shift distributions. good birding EPA Releases Report on Climate Change Indicators in the U.S. (April 27, 2010) – EPA released a report presenting 24 indicators that will help people track and understand the causes and effects of climate change. EPA selected the indicators based on their usefulness, objectivity, data quality, transparency, ability to show a meaningful trend and relevance to climate change. The indicators include U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, atmospheric concentrations of GHGs, U.S. and global temperatures, heat waves, drought extent, precipitation amounts, sea level rise, ocean acidification, extent of Arctic sea ice, size of glaciers, amount of snow pack, heat-related deaths, length of growing season, leaf growth and bloom dates and bird wintering ranges. According to EPA, “the indicators in this report present compelling evidence that the composition of the atmosphere and many fundamental measures of climate in the United States are changing.” As new and more complete indicator data become available, EPA plans to update the indicators presented in the report and provide additional indicators that can more comprehensively document climate change and its effects. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
