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Final report detailing the results of the climate change vulnerability assessment conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society. The specific goals of this assessment were to: provide a climate change vulnerability ranking for selected Arctic Alaskan breeding bird species; evaluate the relative contribution of specific sensitivity and exposure factors to individual species rankings; consider how this assessment may be integrated with other approaches; and appraise the effectiveness of the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) tool.
The Whimbrel is one of the larger breeding shorebirds in Arctic Alaska, occurring in both taigaand tundra habitats. In Arctic Alaska, this species nests in a variety of tundra habitats rangingfrom lowland wet polygonal to well-drained moist upland tundra, sometimes with significantshrub cover
The Red Knot, roselaari subspecies, is a relatively uncommon breeding shorebird in ArcticAlaska. They typically nest in coastal alpine habitats, preferring sparsely vegetated and broadalpine ridgelines and dome tops (Harrington 2001, J. Johnson, pers. comm.). There is littleinformation on breeding season diet in this species however; field observations suggest a varieddiet from insects to plant materials (e.g., lichens, leaves, berries) (Harrington 2001). During May,knots occur in coastal lagoons adjacent to suitable nesting habitats. These lagoons apparentlyserve as foraging and resting sites preceding dispersal to nesting areas (J. Johnson, pers. comm.).This subspecies winters at sites along the Pacific Coast...
The Dunlin (arcticola subspecies) is a common breeding bird in Arctic Alaska from the areasurrounding Barrow to the east. The pacifica subspecies also occurs within the Arctic LCCassessment area in the region around Cape Lisburne and Cape Krusenstern. Dunlin use a widevariety of breeding habitats found in the northern sub-arctic and arctic. On the Arctic CoastalPlain of Alaska, C. a. arcticola breed in moist-wet tundra, often in areas with ponds, polygons,and strangmoor landforms (Warnock and Gill 1996). The arcticola subspecies winters in Asiawhile pacifica winters along the west coast of North America. Current population estimate is 1.3million (arcticola: 750,000, pacifica: 500,000; Morrison et al. 2006) with...
A major challenge with communicating potential climate change impacts to general audiences is that many people have difficulty understanding how projected changes in temperature and precipitation affect the climate they are accustomed to and their lives in general. Climate analogs are an alternative tool that can be used to communicate potential climate change impacts by comparing locations with similar climates to illustrate changes that models project. The approach works by comparing the future climate at a location of interest to the historic climate of all locations (Figure 1). We identify the location with the most similar historic climate (analog site) to the future climate at the location of interest. The...
An advanced workshop to help riparian restoration practitioners incorporate anticiapted cilmate change to help improve their riparian restoration projects.Workshop GoalIncrease riparian restoration practitioners’ skills and knowledge in applying tools to improve riparian restoration to account for anticipated climate change.OverviewThis workshop aimed to broaden knowledge and skills around designing riparian restoration projects in the Central Coast Region, using the principles of climate-smart restoration.Intended AudienceRestoration practitioners who were working with, or had immediate plans to be working with, riparian restoration were encouraged to attend. Target audiences included biological consultants, conservation...
Two great resources for restoration practitioners interested in designing their projects in a way that prepares them for climate change – climate-smart restoration:1) Restoration Checklist: A check-list (Microsoft Word) that can be used to plan and describe climate-smart restoration projects.2) Climate-Smart Restoration Design packets: San Francisco and San Pablo bays, California: A Microsoft Excel workbook and associated “How To” guide (pdf) for marsh-upland transition zone habitat Marin and Sonoma counties: A Microsoft Excel workbook and associated “How To” guide (pdf) for riparian habitat Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties: A Microsoft Excel workbook and associated...
Project Goal The goal of this project is two-fold: 1) to increase the understanding of how meadow restoration impacts hydrology and 2) to inform management and investment decisions around using restoration as a tool to build resilience under climate change. Objectives in support of this goal include: - Complete data collection and analysis and publish peer-reviewed research article on the results of groundwater and surface water measurements before and after restoration in Indian Valley Meadow (Eldorado National Forest) - Double the published scientific literature on the water supply benefits of meadow restoration and produce the first empirical study - Estimate groundwater and base flow (late season groundwater...
The Steller’s Eider, is the smallest of the four eiders and in many ways resembles dabbling ducksmore than sea ducks. This species was listed as “threatened” in 1997 under the EndangeredSpecies Act as it has virtually disappeared from historic breeding areas in the YukonKuskokwimDelta, once the most populated breeding ground in Alaska. In Arctic Alaska,Steller’s Eiders nest in polygonal tundra near the coast or up to 30km inland on sites with acomplex of interconnected ponds (Fredrickson 2001). During the breeding season, their dietconsists primarily of aquatic insects including chironomid and tipulid larvae (Fredrickson 2001).Alaskan breeders spend their winters along the Alaskan panhandle and the eastern AleutianIslands...
The Yellow-billed loon, the largest of the world’s five loon species, and also the rarest, has oneof the highest nesting densities in the world on the central Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska (Earnstet al. 2005). In Alaska, this species typically breeds on the edges of relatively deep (>2 m), large(usu. >12 ha) fish-bearing lakes (http://alaska.fws.gov/). Little is known about their diet inAlaska, but they are believed to depend on several fish species, with cisco (Coregonus spp.)being the most important (J. Schmutz, pers. comm.). Although previously thought to winter offthe coast of the Pacific Northwest, new evidence suggests the North American breedingpopulation winters in East Asia from the western Kuril Islands...
The Bar-tailed Godwit completes one of the most incredible journeys of any bird species,traveling non-stop across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Australia and New Zealand during itsfall migration. In Arctic Alaska, this species is found most commonly west of the Colville Riverand is particularly frequent in the Brooks Range foothills (Johnson et al. 2007). On the NorthSlope, Bar-tailed Godwits nest in moist tussock tundra near wetlands to wet sedge meadows(McCaffery and Gill 2001). They typically forage in shallow, flooded areas on insects but willeat berries upon arrival to breeding grounds (McCaffery and Gill 2001). Current populationestimate for North American breeders (baueri subspecies) is 90,000 with a declining...
The Black-bellied Plover breeds regularly in Arctic Alaska with the highest numbersconcentrated in the central portion of the Arctic Coastal Plain (Johnson et al. 2007). Ingeneral, this species tends to choose dry habitats for nesting such as dry heath tundra, exposedridges, and river banks. They will occasionally nest in wetter tundra habitats but tend to selectdrier microsites (Paulson 1995). Black-bellied Plovers search for invertebrate prey visually onopen tundra during the breeding season. This species winters along the coastlines of NorthAmerica from southern Canada to Middle America (Paulson 1995). Current Alaskapopulation estimate (P. s. squatarola) is 50,000 with a declining population trend (Morrisonet...
The Long-tailed Jaeger, the most sleek and graceful of the three jaegers, is a common bird inArctic Alaska. Similar to the larger Pomarine Jaeger, this species diet consists primarily oflemmings and voles, however, unlike the Pomarine Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaegers can withstandcyclical rodent crashes as they can readily switch to other food sources (Wiley and Lee 1998).The Long-tailed Jaegers breeding range in Alaska extends more deeply into the interior thaneither the Pomarine or Parasitic Jaeger and typically nests in drier upland tundra (Wiley and Lee1998). The current global population estimate is >150,000 – 5,000,000 (BirdLife International2012). There is no Alaska population estimate available.
The Pacific Loon is the most common breeding loon in Arctic Alaska, nesting throughout muchof the state (Russell 2002). This species typically breeds on lakes that are ≥1 ha in size in bothboreal and tundra habitats. They are primarily piscivorous although they are known to commonlyfeed chicks invertebrates (D. Rizzolo and J. Schmutz, unpublished data). Many Pacific Loonsspend their winters in offshore waters of the west coast of Canada and the U.S. (Russell 2002).The most recent Alaska population estimate is 100-125,000 individuals (Ruggles and Tankersley1992) with ~ 69,500 on the Arctic Coastal Plain specifically (Groves et al. 1996).
The Savannah Sparrow has a widespread breeding range across North America from thesouthern U.S. to Arctic Alaska. This species will breed in open habitats ranging from meadows,cultivated fields, grazed pastures, roadsides, coastal grasslands and tundra (Wheelwright andRising 2008). On the coastal plain of Arctic Alaska, tundra nesting habitat is often associatedwith stream/river drainages, nesting on the ground often hidden under low shrubs (Wheelwrightand Rising 2008). During the breeding season they forage in a wide range of habitats on a varietyof insect prey although seeds and other vegetative matter are also consumed (Wheelwright andRising 2008). Savannah Sparrows are short-distance migrants and winter in the...
The Snowy Owl, a conspicuous and majestic bird of the circumpolar arctic, is an efficient hunterof small mammals in tundra environs. In years of high lemming numbers they will focus on thisabundant food source but will readily switch to a wide variety of other prey when lemmings arescarce (Parmelee 1992). Their breeding range in Alaska is generally restricted to the ArcticCoastal Plain, typically nesting in more upland tundra habitats, although they often, though notexclusively, forage in wetter tundra (Parmelee 1992). Snowy Owls are unpredictable migrantsand will sometimes “invade” portions of southern Canada and the northern contiguous US, inwinters when lemmings are scarce in the Arctic. The current global population...
The Common Eider, a large sea duck, is more closely tied to marine environments than are manyother sea ducks. On the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska this species nests primarily on barrierislands and peninsulas of the Arctic Coastal Plain (a small proportion of the total area) while inother parts of its range they select quite varied nesting sites (Goudie et al. 2000). Common eidersdepend on a marine prey base, eating invertebrates (primarily mollusks and crustaceans) bydiving to the sea floor. Alaskan breeders spend their winters nearby in the Bering Sea, Gulf ofAlaska, and off Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula (SDJV 2004). Current Arctic Coastal Plainpopulation is estimated at approximately 2,000 (Dau and Bollinger 2009).
The Center for Watershed Sciences and the Information Center for the Environment, in cooperation with affiliated organizations throughout the Sierra Nevada, are in the process of building and maintaining this data clearinghouse to support the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation meadow initiative.Meadow ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada (California, USA) have been maintained by the interplay of biotic and abiotic forces, where hydrological functions bridge aquatic and terrestrial realms. Meadows are not only key habitat for fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals alike, but also provide enumerable ecosystem services to humans, not limited to regulating services (e.g., water filtration), provisioning services (e.g.,...
Categories: Data;
Tags: Document,
LCC Network Science Catalog,
completed,
data.gov California LCC,
environment
Indian Valley sits atop the Sierra Crest, 30 miles south of Lake Tahoe. The 250 acre meadow was once ahigh-elevation sponge that soaked up spring snowmelt and slowly released water throughout thesummer. However, historic overgrazing caused erosion and downcutting of the stream channel andformed a network of gullies that quickly drained water from the meadow. In 2012, a partnership thatincluded the US Forest Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Coca Cola and American Riversrestored the meadow by filling the gully and once again enabling flood waters to spread out and soak in.As a result, groundwater storage increased, the water table rose, and streamflow increased during thelate summer months. The vegetation...
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