Skip to main content
  1. ScienceBase Catalog
  2. National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
  3. Northwest CASC
  4. FY 2017 Projects
  5. Climate Change Impacts on Invasive Species in the Northwest: A Synthesis and Path Forward

Climate Change Impacts on Invasive Species in the Northwest: A Synthesis and Path Forward

A Northwest CSC Directed Funding FY2017 Project
Principal Investigator
Clint Muhlfeld

Dates

Start Date
2017-08-01
End Date
2018-08-30
Release Date
2017

Summary

Invasive species have increasingly severe consequences for ecosystems and human communities alike. The ecological impacts of invasive species are often irreversible, and include the loss of native species and the spread of disease. Implications for human communities include damaged water transportation systems, reduced crop yields, reduced forage quality for livestock, and widespread tree death - which can lead to increases in wildfire and loss of biodiversity. Changing climate conditions may facilitate the spread of invasive species, making this a key management and conservation concern across the United States. This project will synthesize what we know about how climate change impacts the spread of invasive species across the Northwest. [...]

Child Items (3)

Contacts

Principal Investigator :
Clint Muhlfeld
Co-Investigator :
Jennifer Gervais
Funding Agency :
Northwest CSC
CMS Group :
Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) Program

Attached Files

Click on title to download individual files attached to this item.

Castle_rock_wildfire_Kari_Greer_FWS.jpg
“Cheatgrass Fire Credit: Keri Greer, USFWS” 		thumbnail 226.08 KB image/jpeg

Purpose

Invasive species pose significant threats to both aquatic and terrestrial systems, as well as managed and natural ecosystems. The ecological impacts of invasive species are often irreversible and far-reaching, including reductions in the distribution, abundance, and diversity of native species and increases in the prevalence of disease outbreaks. Invasive species also have significant impacts on local and regional economies. For example, invasive species incur dramatic economic costs through damaged water transportation systems, reduced crop yields, reduced forage quality for livestock, widespread tree mortality and associated increases in wildfire, and loss of biodiversity including endangered species. Thus, it is extremely concerning that climate change may further facilitate expansion of invasive species. This project will synthesize our existing understanding of how climate change influences the spread and impact of invasive species in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems across the northwestern United States. We will use this information to identify what environmental conditions facilitate the spread of invasive species and what habitats and species may be vulnerable to future spread. Identifying common traits in these species across ecological boundaries will help managers develop a predictive framework for recognize new potential invasive species and take steps to stop them before they become established. This will provide a powerful framework allowing managers to better evaluate the risk of invasive species and develop pro-active management strategies for future invasive species expansions throughout the Northwest.

Project Extension

parts
typeTechnical Summary
valueInvasive species have increasingly severe consequences for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and human health. Understanding the impacts of invasive species, diseases, and pests under changing climate conditions is a key management and conservation priority across the United States. Moreover, identifying key factors that promote spread of invasive species is critical for developing effective management strategies to prevent establishment, slow the rate of spread, and mitigate ecological and economic impacts. This project will synthesize existing information about the effects of climate change on the spread of invasive species in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems across the northwestern United States. We will identify key characteristics – dispersal potential, rate of spread, habitat requirements, climate sensitivity, and impacts – of invasive species that are particularly likely to act synergistically with climate change and other human stressors (e.g., habitat degradation and fragmentation). The resulting synthesis will provide managers with decision-support tools to help evaluate emerging risks of invasive species and identify information gaps that should be addressed with future research and monitoring.
projectStatusCompleted

Budget Extension

annualBudgets
year2017
totalFunds114999.0
parts
typeAward Type
valueCOA
typeAward Number
valueRR00
totalFunds114999.0

Cheatgrass Fire Credit: Keri Greer, USFWS
Cheatgrass Fire Credit: Keri Greer, USFWS

Map

Map Preview

Spatial Services

ScienceBase WMS

Communities

  • National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
  • Northwest CASC

Associated Items

Tags

Provenance

Additional Information

Identifiers

Type Scheme Key
RegistrationUUID NCCWSC 5987f2d0-3e93-429e-8104-98d40fe2a9af
StampID NCCWSC NW17-MC1265

Item Actions

View Item as ...

JSON ATOM ISO XML

Save Item as ...

JSON FGDC MODS XML ISO XML

View Item...

Metrics