In its latest internal grant cycle, the Hormel Institute in Austin awarded $540,000 in research grants. The funds came from community fundraising efforts.
Bison that lived 3,000 years ago were 37% larger than those living today because of a warming climate — a trend that will accelerate, with bison projected to become 46% smaller by the end of the century. Bison are shaggy sentinels of climate change on the prairie.
The study covers more than 10,000 glacial lakes in eight Upper Midwest states, including Minnesota. Researchers used statistical models to calculate how resilient those lakes are to changes in climate and land use.
"Excess rainfall" this spring has reversed the severe drought the north saw last year, and it's unlikely there will be a drought in the region for the foreseeable future, according to a climate outlook report.
