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  5. Clarifying Science Needs for Southeastern Grasslands

Clarifying Science Needs for Southeastern Grasslands

Workshop to Clarify Science Needs for Southeastern Grasslands
Principal Investigator
Jennifer Cartwright

Dates

Start Date
2018-08-27
End Date
2021-04-30
Release Date
2018

Summary

Grasslands are plant communities that have few or no trees, or have open canopies that allow for the development of a grassy groundcover. Grasslands in the southeastern U.S. support rare plant and animal species and in some cases qualify as global or regional hotspots of biodiversity. Yet the Southeast’s grasslands have been reduced by approximately 90% since European settlement, as the result of agriculture, urbanization, and fire suppression. Today, climate change represents an additional stressor that may pose direct and indirect threats to grassland-related biodiversity. Additional knowledge is urgently needed to evaluate conservation options for species of conservation concern in southeastern U.S. grasslands, including species [...]

Child Items (3)

Contacts

Principal Investigator :
Jennifer Cartwright
Co-Investigator :
Dwayne Estes
Funding Agency :
Southeast CASC
CMS Group :
Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) Program

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36215097913_cc6ce9ca24_k.jpg
“Meadow in Pisgah National Forest, NC - Credit: Alan Cressler” 		thumbnail 1.86 MB image/jpeg

Purpose

Grasslands are plant communities with few or no trees or with open canopies that allow development of a grassy groundcover. Some qualify as global or regional hotspots of biodiversity supporting rare plant and animal species. Grasslands of the southeastern United States have been reduced by approximately 90% since European settlement, with some types approaching 100% loss, primarily as a result of agriculture, urbanization, and fire suppression. Climate change now presents a new potential threat with largely unknown consequences. Knowledge is urgently needed to evaluate conservation options for species of conservation concern in southeastern U.S. grasslands, e.g. species that are listed as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act or are being considered for such listing. In addition, botanists are aware of nearly 100 undescribed plant species restricted to grassland systems in the region. Once named, many of these likely will be listed, at least at the state level. We propose a region-wide workshop to be held in 2019, which will bring together scientific and conservation professionals to explore the challenges to grassland species conservation in the southeastern U.S. Emphasis will be placed on clarifying the research and data needs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and state agencies related to Species Status Assessments (SSAs) for imperiled grassland species. The workshop will produce a white paper that specifies the types of data and analysis most needed to help grassland managers restore, conserve, and manage these ecosystems into the future. This, in turn, will help assure that the many benefits that grasslands provide to the public – beauty, recreation, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and ecosystem services – will continue to be available.

Project Extension

parts
typeTechnical Summary
valueThe goal of this project is to identify research needs with respect to grassland species of conservation concern in the southeastern U.S. These species and their habitats (natural communities) are important to regional biodiversity but have traditionally received less attention that other ecosystems such as forests. A workshop of experts will focus on threats to grassland habitats including land-use change, fire suppression, and climate change. The findings from the workshop will be published as a white paper. These findings will be used by natural resource managers, scientists, and stakeholders throughout the region to improve conservation of grassland species and habitats. This needs assessment will directly support priorities of the Secretary of the Interior by identifying the science needed to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in managing its land resources and adapt to changes in the environment.
projectStatusCompleted

Meadow in Pisgah National Forest, NC - Credit: Alan Cressler
Meadow in Pisgah National Forest, NC - Credit: Alan Cressler

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  • National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
  • Southeast CASC

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Type Scheme Key
RegistrationUUID NCCWSC 452223e0-2278-4d95-8673-84d701df61e5
StampID NCCWSC SE18-BR1519

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