Climate change is driving growing risks to many national park sites, threatening to fundamentally alter a large share of the country’s most iconic landscapes, new research finds.
The study, commissioned by the National Park Service, was the first of its kind, exploring the strengths and vulnerabilities of parks in the face of global warming. Looking at 259 parks, researchers found that 77 percent were highly vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate.
Former NPS ecologist John Gross, one of the lead authors of the study, said researchers were “blown away” by the severity of their findings.
“National Parks are under threat,” wrote the team — which included Gross and scientists from the University of Washington and Conservation Science Partners. They noted that climate-driven changes are already reshaping landscapes and urged federal planners to act to help parks avoid “potentially catastrophic changes.”
