FALMOUTH — Maine climatologist George Jacobson will speak about changes in the state’s ecosystem and environment from past and future climate change on Wednesday, May 30, at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Center.

As part of Maine Audubon’s Speaker Series, the public presentation, which starts at 7 p.m., is free.

Jacobson’s talk is titled “Climate Change: Past and Future Effects on Plants and Animals in Maine.” He is the lead author of the 2009 publication, “Maine’s Climate Future: An Initial Assessment.” 

“We hear a lot now about how our climate is changing and what that might mean for Maine’s wildlife, forests, and even recreational opportunities,” Jacobson said Thursday in a report.

“What might surprise people is how much we can learn from biological responses to climate shifts that have taken place in the past, even many thousands of years ago.”

Maine Audubon Executive Director Ted Koffman said the discussion is timely and relevant as changes in local and global climate continue to occur.

Such as the first five months of this year that revealed little snowfall for much of the state, an uncharacteristically warm couple of weeks in March, and average Maine temperatures through April hovering around 5 degrees warmer than usual.

“Global climate change may be the most serious and complex challenge humankind has ever faced,” Koffman said.

“In a relatively quick time frame, biologists and observant citizens are seeing plants, animals, birds, and insects moving farther north while the ocean chemistry and temperatures are also changing.”

He said these shifts will create widespread impacts on our natural resource based economies, wildlife and wildlife habitat and Maine’s quality of life.

“But, as with everything, the more we learn, the more we may be motivated to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, while also implementing measures to help all living things adapt to the changes that will continue to unfold,” Koffman said.

Research has shown that changes in vegetation and plant evolution are driven by changes in atmospheric chemistry and climate both in the past and the future, he said.

Jacobson, professor emeritus at the University of Maine, conducts research that is primarily focused on long-term climate change and forest responses to climate change with special emphasis on how spatial and temporal variations in climate, geology, disturbance, and other factors have affected plant assemblages.

“Climate changes driven by our activities, especially the use of fossil fuels, will be the great global challenge for the next few generations,” Jacobson said.

“How we adapt to largely unprecedented conditions will determine the fate of not just natural ecosystems, but even our own social order.”

The Maine Audubon “Speaker Series” is a monthly program at Gilsland Farm Center in Falmouth. It covers a diverse range of topics, from conservation to legislative issues to gardening.

For more information on the climate change discussion with Maine state climatologist George Jacobson, visit www.maineaudubon.org.

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