Report highlights effects of climate change on Great Lakes parks

Climate change is already damaging the fragile ecosystems of major national parks near Minnesota and throughout the rest of Great Lakes area. That, according to a new report to be released during a news conference Wednesday, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and Natural Resources Defense Council.

The report focuses on the five largest parks on the Great Lakes which attract a combined four million visitors annually. It includes Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park.

According to the report, increased temperatures resulting from a changing climate could have particularly destructive impacts along the shores of the Great Lakes. New projections done for the report show that summers in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore could become as hot as those of Gainesville, Florida.

Already, there is a likelihood of lower lake levels and disappearing winter ice cover on the Great Lakes. The report -- “Great Lakes National Parks in Peril: The Threats of Climate Disruption” points out these changes would bring a cascade of problems, including increased erosion. Changing temperatures also could bring massive changes to biodiversity in the parks, with possible losses of moose and wolves at Isle Royale and wildlife at the other parks covered in the report.

In addition to Isle Royale, the Apostle Islands and Indiana Dunes, the report also studies climate change effects on Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks national lakeshores in Michigan.