Climate Change Affects Sasquatch too!
This month, Nature discusses results of a “Big Foot” study by Jeff Lozier of the University of Illinois. Prof. Lozier and colleagues analyszed sightings recorded by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization using a novel, not yet fully understood technique called “ecological niche modelling” . Their conclusions?
The reported sightings imply that the wooded and mountainous areas of California, Oregon and Washington teem with sasquatch at present. Warm the climate, and, like many other species, it will probably move north and uphill.
Before you snort coke out your nose, one of the author’s goals was to demonstrate the possible problems with predicting the effects of climate change on species populations. Commenting on his own Sasquatch study, Lozier says,
“It’s a perfect commentary on the potential problems of this approach,” … “Plus, it’s a sasquatch paper.”
Hmm… should I ask the author whether he predicts the average size of Sasquatch specifimens will shrink or grow as a result of climate change?
You can read more at Nature Blogs.
Hat tip: Bill Illis
Written by lucia.Comments Closed: If you would like them re-opened, Contact Lucia
Comments
Jorge (Comment#15798) July 8th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Golly! An honest man.
“We in the modelling community need to be a bit more humble about how precise our predictions are, and acknowledge the errors of estimates, which are huge, more than we do,” says Rahbek. “It’s just damn hard to predict the future.”
This is not climate science and perhaps it is much harder to predict where species may move to if it gets warmer.
On the other hand predicting where clouds will form should be much easier. Oh! They don´t do that very well either.
Andrew_KY (Comment#15799) July 8th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I can do without speculations on Sassy’s Shrinkage. Really. Quit.
Andrew
Scooter (Comment#15801) July 8th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
As long as nobody feeds him Scottish sheep, he should flourish.
Earle Williams (Comment#15802) July 8th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Lucia,
It is coffee that goes out the nose. Coke, I believe, traditionally goes in the opposite direction.
Les Johnson (Comment#15804) July 8th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Andrew: your
I can do without speculations on Sassy’s Shrinkage. Really. Quit.
No need to worry about Bigfoot’s shrinkage. The name “Bigfoot” does not refer to anything pedalogical.
Les Johnson (Comment#15807) July 8th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
sigh…pedalogical? lets try “to do with podiatry”
ps – sorry to all the teachers out there, especially while discussing BF’s…ahhh….hmmm….you know….
Bill Illis (Comment#15810) July 8th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Between the sheep and the sasquatch, even the born-again pro-AGW’ers cannot help but make fun of how ridiculous the extent is to which they themselves have stretched the theory.
On the other hand, we have to be careful to not pollute the whole universe with our Carbon. In fact, we have to prevent large stars from forming which are the source (besides man) for all this Carbon pollution in the universe.
The last thing we need is Universe Warming in addition to Global Warming.
Scott Brim (Comment#15813) July 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Back in May, 1980, about a week before Mt. St. Helens blew its top on May 18th, members of the press who were camped out in Randall, Washington waiting for something to happen asked the proprietor of a local motel/restaurant if she thought anything truly serious would occur. She responded, “Yes, forty Sasquatch carrying suitcases were seen leaving town last night.”
kuhnkat (Comment#15818) July 8th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Hmmm, this will probably make the list of must reads in the next IPCC report!!!
Rich (Comment#15823) July 9th, 2009 at 5:04 am
“Like Lozier, he wanted to show that models could turn dubious data into plausible-looking predictions.”
It’s not just climate scientists who should have that turned into a poster and stuck on their office walls.
Douggerel (Comment#15824) July 9th, 2009 at 5:50 am
All Bigfoot needs to do is shave, and he will be able to remain in his original habitat. We need to airdrop razors and shaving cream into the forests, stat!
David Jay (Comment#15925) July 9th, 2009 at 6:13 am
Sasquatch and AGW. What a perfect confluence!
Scooter (Comment#16071) July 9th, 2009 at 11:26 am
What are the results from computer model projections of Sasquatch populations? Or are the results of clouds upon Sasquatch populations as unknown as in climate models?
Andrew_FL (Comment#16083) July 9th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Isn’t Niche Modeling David Stockwell’s specialty? I wonder what his comments would be…