Open AccessClimate Change and the Fate of Desert Springs
Author(s) -
Frisbee Marty D.,
Wilson John L.,
Sada Donald W.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2013eo150009
Subject(s) - desert (philosophy) , arid , climate change , ecosystem , recreation , snowmelt , aquatic ecosystem , geography , environmental science , ecology , snow , philosophy , epistemology , meteorology , biology
Springs are integral components of the unique web of life in desert ecosystems of the western United States. Many desert springs would not exist without local mountains to intercept and store water from rainfall and snowmelt, and many desert aquatic ecosystems would not exist without the springs, illustrating the connectivity between landscape processes (the realm of geoscientists) and ecosystem functioning (the realm of ecologists). On a human scale, early exploration, inhabitation, and survival in the arid and semiarid western United States would not have been feasible without springs. People living there today continue to value springs as dependable sources of water for irrigation, livestock, drinking, and recreational and economic uses (e.g., hot springs). Unfortunately, some desert springs may be less resistant to the effects of climate change than others. How can this resistance be quantified?