Long, hot summers are just part of life in the Great Basin. But they appear to be longer and hotter still over time, to the detriment of waterbirds that fly to and through the basin.
Small but steady changes in temperature, water quantity, and water quality make life more difficult for birds and their babies.
Susan Haig at Oregon State University is the principal author of a study on the trend; John Matthews of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation is a co-author. They join us with details of their work.