Description

Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the governments of Canada and the United States have committed to restore and maintain the physical, biological and chemical integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes. The Lakewide Action and Management Plans (LAMPs) are binational action plans for restoring and protecting the Great Lakes ecosystem.  This report was prepared for the Superior Work Group of the Lake Superior Lakewide Action and Management Plan.  

The report, released in January 2014, synthesizes available science and identifies adaptation strategies and actions for Lake Superior ecosystems. Climate science related to Lake Superior is summarized and potential climate change adaptation strategies and future actions are outlined.  Impacts related to human infrastructure are not discussed, nor are mitigation actions (including greenhouse gas, or GHG, emission reductions). 

Projected climate changes are determined by the use of climate models which simulate changes in climate under scenarios of future GHG emissions. While specific changes may vary by location, a range of plausible future climate conditions is projected for the Lake Superior region during the 21st century.

Quick reference of contents:

1. Summary of Projected Changes to the Lake Superior Climate (page ix)
2. Summary of Expected Effects on Lake Superior Ecosystems (page x)
3. Table 1 - Summary of IPCC emissions scenarios for GCMs [emission numbers for climate modelling] (page 5)
4. Expected Impacts of Climate Change on Lake Superior Ecosystems (page 8)
5. Summary of Expected Climate Change Impacts (page 12)
6. Effects of Climate Change on Lake Superior Ecosystems [full section] (page 47)
7. Existing Efforts on Adaptation of Lake Superior Ecosystems to Climate Change [full section] (page 75)