Ojibwe Lifeway: Wild Rice Harvesting (“dagwaagin”-fall)

Wisconsin is projected to warm by 5°F by the middle of this century. Compare this for projected annual temperature change across the Ceded Territory. What is the potential impact of these changes on manoomin?

CLUE:

Manoomin is a northern hardy plant, located at the southern edge of its A geographical area where an animal normally lives range in the Great Lakes and northern Wisconsin. Warming temperatures, together with higher humidity, contribute to wild rice fungal diseases, higher populations of damaging insects, and reduced germination rates

Compare the change in nights below 0-degrees F that have historically occurred and what are projected by mid-century, especially for northern WI where Manoomin is found.  How could this affect Manoomin and the cultural practice of wild rice harvesting?

CLUE:  

Cold winters are necessary for manoomin (wild rice) seeds to germinate the following spring. Milder winters can shorten the dormancy period, leading to a lower germination rate and reduced seed production. 

Usually heavy rainfall events of 2 or more inches of rain are recorded about 12 times per decade in Wisconsin.

By the mid-21st century, Wisconsin may receive 30% more of these extreme rainfall events per decade, and twice the number of 5-inch rainfall flooding events. What is the potential impact of these changes on manoomin?

CLUE:

Manoomin is sensitive to fluctuations in the water level where it grows. Too little water and the plant will dry out, too much and it will drown, especially when the plant is in the critical “floating leaf” stage of growth.

Intense storm events can damage manoomin by uprooting plants or drowning them. Intense rain also erodes soil into the lakes and streams which can smother manoomin in a layer of sediment or cloud the water reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize properly.

This issue is closely linked with increased temperatures and rainfall. Higher temperatures lead to increased The process where water becomes vapor and enters the atmosphere evaporation and changes in weather pattern. Extreme weather events are expected to increase. What is the potential impact of these changes on manoomin?

CLUE:

Increased storm events would increase wave action and erosion in Lake Superior coastal wetland areas and damage manoomin habitat such as the Bad River- Kakagon Sloughs.

By the 2060, the frequency of very hot 90-degree days in Wisconsin is expected to triple from from a statewide average of 9 to 26 days per year. What is the potential impact of these changes on manoomin?

CLUE:

This issue is closely linked to temperature and rainfall amounts. While northern Wisconsin is expected to have more heavy rainfall events, little change in the total amount of summer rain is predicted, but temperatures will be much warmer.

Manoomin is sensitive to fluctuations in the water level where it grows. Too little water and the plant will dry out, too much and it will drown, especially when the plant is in the critical “floating leaf” stage of growth.

The combination of temperature rise and precipitation decreases in northern Wisconsin would result in droughts that dry out in manoomin habitat in Great Lakes coastal wetlands and inland lakes. Drought also exposes wetland soils to colonization by invasive plants that can crowd out manoomin.