Pika: Impacts of Climate Change

Washington's National Park Fund provided a grant to support the completion of a three-year study to understand climate and habitat factors affecting pika populations in North Cascades National Park. Native to cold climates, pika are small animals with short limbs, rounded ears and a short tail. Prevalent in mountainous national parks, pika live among the rocks, where there are many crevices to shelter in. Recent research suggests that human activity and global climate change are forcing pika to live in higher elevations, threatening their continued survival. Results from this study will support critical natural resource management decisions.

This project is still in progress. As you read, 60 data loggers in North Cascades National Park are capturing the temperature at ten minute intervals. Temperatures will continue to be gathered through the summer of 2011 at both the surface, and below ground where the pika would likely be during the colder months.  Check here for more updated information as progress of this project continues!