Getting Thirsty?

Hello and welcome to "From One Ex-Stream to Another"

My name is Charles Axelsson and I'm a 3rd year in my BSc Geography. Over the next four months (and maybe beyond) I'll be posting here about the consequences of drying climates drawing mostly on the American Southwest. 

The American Southwest with subregions. Source: Wikipedia

Excluding Texas, the American Southwest is home to some 50 million people alone (EPA 2013) with 90% of the population living in urban areas including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Denver (Global Change). The region is extremely important not only economically but also culturally. From the cinematic landscapes of Southern California to the mountain recreation of Colorado to the agricultural production of New Mexico the American Southwest is a big player in the United States as well as the world!

People aren't the only creatures home to the region! The mighty Colorado River roars through the region while wildlife thrives in the National Parks like Yosemite, Yellow Stone and Grand Canyon. The region captures many ecosystems filled with unique wildlife from redwood trees to cacti and from grizzly bears to rattlesnakes. The region also grows half of American high-wealth crops such as the always beloved avocado (Global Change).

My love of avocados. Source: Raw Girl

So what? Why care about this region? Can't they just go on living in their happy sunny way under the palm trees? NO! The American Southwest is changing! It's drying! The land is thirsty! In the past century the average temperature rose 1.5 degrees F with an expected 8 degrees rise coming this century (EPA 2013). With all this heat the desert is getting warmer and less snow is falling and melting into the lakes and rivers that fuel this climatic anti-humidity oasis. On top of this springtime rainfall is expected to decreases leaving those summers hotter and dryer (EPA 2013). 

As we go on our journey through the American Southwest we will explore what this drying means for the environment from agriculture production, wildfires, urban development, species responses, erosion, and beyond! So grab a cocktail and pull up to the poolside, take a hot cocoa while overlooking the ski slopes or order a drink in a Western bar and get ready to feel the heat!