Climate change in Wisconsin
Spring rainfall and yearly precipitation are predicted to rise during the next century, and violent rainstorms are anticipated to worsen.
As the climate warms, the populations of paper birch, quaking aspen, balsam fir, and black spruce may decline in the North Woods, while oak, hickory, and pine trees may become more numerous.
[5] "Warming could also harm ecosystems by changing the timing of natural processes such as migration, reproduction, and flower blooming.
Along with range shifts, changes in timing can disrupt the intricate web of relationships between animals and their food sources and between plants and pollinators.
Increasingly severe rainstorms could also cause sewers to overflow into the lake more often, threatening beach safety and drinking water supplies.
One advantage of climate change is that warmer winters reduce the number of days that ice prevents navigation.
[7] Warmer winters are anticipated to limit the season for leisure activities such as ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, and snowboarding, putting a strain on local businesses.
Nonetheless, yearly snowfall in much of the Great Lakes area has increased, which may help winter activities at specific times and locations.
[3] The multibillion-dollar dairy business in Wisconsin, which provides more than half of the state's agriculture revenue, may suffer as a result of the changing environment.
Longer frost-free growing seasons and increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere would boost soybean and wheat harvests in an average year.
[6] In addition to the livelihoods of farmers being affected by climate change in Wisconsin, the increased temperatures and precipitation threaten food security.
Although a longer growing season sounds beneficial to food security, in reality, the warmer temperatures and increased precipitation are stressful to crops and animals.
[8] The warmer temperatures and increases rainfall in the summer months are not the only factor contributing to climate change's effect on agriculture.
Higher temperatures increase the formation of ground-level ozone, a pollutant that causes lung and heart problems.
In some rural parts of Wisconsin, ozone levels are high enough to reduce yields of soybeans and winter wheat.
[10] "Northern cities like Milwaukee are vulnerable to heat waves, because many houses and apartments lack air conditioning, and urban areas are typically warmer than their rural surroundings".
