People living in the Great Lakes region are already feeling the effects of a changing climate. Shifts in seasonal temperatures and precipitation patterns could have dramatic impacts on the economy, ecology, and quality of life. In this illuminating and thorough volume, leading scholars address the challenge of preparing for climate change in the region, where decision makers from various sectors—government, agriculture, recreation, and tourism—must increasingly be aware of the need to incorporate climate change into their short- and long-term planning. The chapters in this revealing book, written by some of the foremost climate change scholars in North America, outline the major trends in the climate of the Great Lakes region, how humans might cope with the uncertainty of climate change impacts, and examples of on-the-ground projects that have addressed these issues.
ContentsThinking about Climate Change in the Great Lakes RegionPart One: Effects of Climate Change in the Great Lakes RegionHistorical Climate Trends in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region -- Jeffrey A. AndresenClimate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies for Great Lakes Nearshore and Coastal Systems -- Scudder D. MackeyClimate Change and Biodiversity in the Great Lakes Region: From “Fingerprints” of Change to Helping Safeguard Species -- Kimberly R. Hall and Terry L. RootPart Two: Decision Making and Climate ChangeDecision Making under Climate Uncertainty: The Power of Understanding Judgment and Decision Processes -- Sabine M. Marx and Elke U. WeberAgricultural Adaptation to Climate Change: Is Uncertain Information Usable Knowledge? -- William E. Easterling, Clark Seipt, Adam Terando, and Xianzeng NiuAdapting to Climate Change in the Context of Multiple Risks: A Case Study of Cash Crop Farming in Ontario -- Ben Bradshaw, Suzanne Belliveau, and Barry SmitPart Three: Adaptation Tools and Case StudiesThe Contextual Importance of Uncertainty in Climate-Sensitive Decision-Making: Toward an Integrative Decision-Centered Screening Tool -- Susanne MoserLinking Science to Decision Making in the Great Lakes Region -- Joel D. ScheragaThe Development and Communication of an Ensemble of Local- Scale Climate Scenarios: An Example from the Pileus Project -- Julie A. Winkler, Jeanne M. Bisanz, Galina S. Guentchev, Krerk Piromsopa, Jenni van Ravensway, Haryono Prawiranata, Ryan S. Torre, Preparing for Climate Change in the Great Lakes RegionNotes on the ContributorsReflections on Stephen H. SchneiderIndex
