How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry
Global climate change has been the topic of discussion these days in New England, where spring thaw seems to come earlier each year, prematurely driving hundreds of sugar bush operators from their cabins and into the thickets to tap the sweet nectar of the sugar maple. Times and temperatures are changing for these laborers, and the effects of global climate change on the maple sugar industry have not gone unnoticed. Much of the New England sugar industry has suffered from profit and production decrease, and poor sugar bush health, posing the threat that the tradition of maple sugaring in this region may become obsolete if warming trends continue as they are. The economic, social and ecological effects of global climate change are a cause for concern in New England, compromising the livelihood of an entire culture of loyal maple syrup lovers.
The sugar maple (Acer sacharum) has been an icon of New England for centuries, made sacred by the Native Americans who first extracted the sugary lifeblood from the tree. It ignites fall flames throughout the mountains and valleys of New England startling even the most avid “leaf peepers”, and is a trademark of the landscape, kept under close watch by its neighbors. Throughout the past decade the sugar maple has experienced significant stress from environmental pollution such as acid rain, smog and increased levels of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns have weakened the vitality and richness of the species in its native habitat (Rock, Barrett and Shannon Spencer, 2001).
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The sugar maple is unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. Sugar maple occurs naturally throughout most of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada
The vulnerability of the sugar maple to the effects of global climate change poses a risk not only for the trees, but also for many who make a living in the forest.
Poulson, T. L., & Platt, W. J. (1996). Replacement patterns of beech and sugar maple in Warren Woods, Michigan. Ecology, 1234-1253.
Global Warming, much of what does or does not happen forty years from now, rests on our actions or inactions taken between now and then. The crucial question is whether we should pour all our resources into mitigation – reducing our carbon emissions. According to scientists who study the climate, there are other environmental problems; “we now face a global crisis in land use and agriculture that could undermine the health, security, and sustainability of our civilization”. Rather than worry too much about emissions, we should accept the world is going to get warmer anyway and adapt to global warming by building better flood defenses and developing drought-resistant crops. We cannot dispute that automobiles, factories, and power plants, displace an unprecedented twenty tons of carbon monoxide per person per year.
Many old-growth forests across the landscape of northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan contain a mixture of tree species rather than a monoculture. Many researchers have put forward ideas to explain the competition and co-existence of tree species in such communities. A theory explaining competition and co-existence between two species is gap regeneration. Gap regeneration is when a gap is created upon death of a plant individual and a new individual, sometimes of the same species as died and sometimes not dependent on environmental heterogeneity, takes its place (Kenneth Lertzman). Canopy gaps during gap regeneration can be explained by either reciprocal replacement or habitat preference . In a reciprocal replacement, seedlings of one species would be found predominately under large trees ...
Maple trees first originated in China or Japan, and expand into about 100 species. " Of the four North American species good for sugaring, the hard or rock maple, Acer Saccharum, produces sap of greater quality and in greater quantity than the others and accounts for most of the syrup produced today." (On Food and Cooking, pg. 383).
Growing up, my parents and other influential figures around me modelled the importance of community service through their continual volunteer work and dedication to improving the world around them. Whether it be participation in a well-attended project or persistent contribution to a helpful organization, those aforementioned individuals were formative in guiding me towards a path filled with opportunities for having an impact on my community.
Furgan, C & Prowse, D (2007). From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007”. Natural Resources Canada. 2010. Retrieved from http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/assess/2007/ch3/index_e.php >
One of the impacts of climate change is that as the temperatures in cooler parts of the world change and become warmer, this will allow that place to be more habitable to other different types of food crops, thus expanding the area in which these crops can be grown. For example, less frequent freezes will allow crops like citrus to be planted and gro...
Consequences of Global Warming? N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
“An introduction to climate change.” Natural Resource Defense Council. Natural Resources Defense Council 8 November 2015 n. pag. Web. 28 November 2015.
Nigh, Gordon D., Ying, Cheng C. & Qian, Hong. (2004, October). Climate and Productivity of Major Conifer Species in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Forest Science 50(5), 659.
Main Point: and what our community could look like if we all did our part.
The ecological consequences of global climate change are expected to be drastic although not much is known as to how individual species will react to these changes. Irrespective of the causes of climate change, whether anthropogenic or natural, it is imperative that we address these concerns, as they will have widespread impacts on the human species, both directly and indirectly through forcings on other species. The climate is not expected to shift evenly and the ways in which certain species adapt or migrate due to these changes could be erratic and unpredictable. The rate at which the earth’s climate is currently changing is unprecedented and has not been seen in the past 450,000 years. Although many species have simply migrated northward or vertically up mountainsides to escape warming habitats, others do not have this luxury or cannot migrate fast enough to survive. The earth’s temperature has risen by over one degree Fahrenheit over the past century, based on land and sea level measurements. The temperature is expected to continue rising at a faster pace over the next century, possibly increasing by as much as seven degrees Celsius. In comparison, the earth’s average global temperature was only twelve degrees cooler than it is now during the last great ice age. A vast majority of species now living do so within a narrow spectrum of temperature ranges and will not be able to adapt to a warming climate on such a large scale. If humans are the cause of a warming climate we will ultimately be responsible for the destruction of millions of species.
Climate change is one of the major issues surfacing on Earth over the past century. The earth’s temperature has increased over the years, leading to detrimental effects on the economic and life sources of people, especially that of agricultural production and livestock. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary (2014), defined climate change as a change in global climate patterns apparent from the mid late 20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, (2007) predicts that by 2100 the increase in global average surface temperature may be between 1.8° C and 4.0° C. With increases of 1.5° C to 2.5° C, approximately 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species are expected to be at risk of extinction. Moreover, the IPCC (2007) purported that climate change has severe consequences for food security in developing countries.
Specifically, volunteering brings in revenue from nonprofits and “free” work. In fact, in 2009 an estimated value of $169 billion dollars was contributed to America in volunteer participation (Corporation for National and Community Service). Volunteers bring an unexpected abundance of revenue that appears in unpaid work. In addition, it enhances communication within a society. Significantly, volunteering provides insight from first hand experiences for the community’s wants and needs and if these wants and needs are being met by volunteers communicating their volunteer experiences (Young). When there is better communication within a community it is easier to understand what the wants and needs are for a society to better function. Finally, it provides services in many different forms. For instance, in a local sense volunteers can benefit many sectors such as public works and transportation; public safety, health, and human services; parks and recreation; and support functions (Young). Like stated above, it is evident that there are many different types of volunteer jobs that can be done and anyone can help by using their personal strengths to better the community. Overall, there are many economic benefits that are brought to a community that essentially leads to a safer
Hardy, J. T. Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. New York: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.