Data for Warmer Winters and Ice-Based Cultural Ecosystem Services: Empirical Evidence from USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden

Abstract

Lakes and rivers covered by seasonal ice are extensively used by humans. Although ice cover duration has been declining over the past 150 years for Northern Hemisphere lakes and rivers, we still know relatively little about how inland ice loss directly affects humans. Here we provide empirical examples that give quantitative evidence for a winter warming effect on a wide range of cultural ecosystem services. We show that in recent decades, warmer temperatures delayed the opening date of the James Bay winter ice road in northern Ontario, Canada and led to cancellations of religious celebrations (Lake Suwa, Japan and Lake Constance, Germany/Switzerland/Austria), an ice skating race on Lake Mälaren, Sweden, and winter ice fishing tournaments in Central and Northern Minnesota.