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The role of soil temperature in agricultural health is largely understudied, but recent research suggests that it can affect soil health in important ways. Researchers at Texas Tech University found that lower daily temperature ranges of soil in the Southern High Plains were associated with higher levels of soil microbes (which help make critical nutrients available for plants) and decreased nitrogen availability. These results suggest that climate variability may have implications for soil health and microbial content. In the South Central U.S., a more developed understanding of how management practices, climate variability, and soil health interact is essential for sound agricultural decision-making. This project...
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The Edwards Aquifer in south-central Texas provides water resources to more than 2 million people and is home to eight federally listed threatened and endangered species that are dependent on spring flow from the aquifer for survival. Recent results from global climate models indicate that over the next several decades increases in annual average temperatures and evapotranspiration are likely in this semi-arid region. Decision makers and water resource planners need to have a robust scientific understanding of the impacts of future climate conditions on the Edwards Aquifer system to assess future management strategies needed to maintain water availability and ensure adequate spring flow for protected species....
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Coastal wetlands provide a suite of valuable benefits to people and wildlife, including important habitat, improved water quality, reduced flooding impacts, and protected coastlines. However, in the 21st century accelerated sea-level rise and coastal development are expected to greatly alter coastal landscapes across the globe. The future of coastal wetlands is uncertain, challenging coastal environmental managers to develop conservation strategies that will increase the resilience of these valuable ecosystems to change and preserve the benefits they provide. One strategy for preparing for the effects of sea-level rise is to ensure that there is space available for coastal wetlands to adapt by migration. In a...
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The Rio Grande-Rio Bravo River is the second longest river in the US and is a critical drinking water source for more than 13 million people. It flows south from the snow-capped mountains of Colorado through the New Mexico desert, forms the border between Texas and Mexico, and empties into the Gulf of Mexico at Brownsville, Texas. The multi-national, multi-state, ecologically diverse nature of this river makes management of the resource a complex task, especially in the context of more frequent droughts, changes in land use patterns, and increasing water use needs. The main objective of this project was to assess the state of water resources management policies and planning tools for the Lower Rio Grande-Rio Bravo...
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Plants and animals undergo certain recurring life-cycle events, such as migrations between summer and winter habitats or the annual blooming of plants. Known as phenology, the timing of these events is very sensitive to changes in climate (and changes in one species’ phenology can impact entire food webs and ecosystems). Shifts in phenology have been described as a “fingerprint” of the temporal and spatial responses of wildlife to climate change impacts. Thus, phenology provides one of the strongest indicators of the adaptive capacity of organisms (or the ability of organisms to cope with future environmental conditions). In this study, researchers are exploring how the timing and occurrence of a number of highly...
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The Climate Change Response Framework is an example of a collaborative, cross-boundary approach to create a set of tools, partnerships, and actions to support climate-informed conservation and land management. Historically, this effort has focused on the needs of forest managers and forestry professionals. In recent years, however, there has been increasing demand for science and tools to address climate change adaptation in wildlife management and conservation. Not only do wildlife and resource managers need the best available science, it must also be presented in a usable format with feasible options within the purview of an individual manager. The research team is first completing a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed...
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The southeastern U.S. contains a unique diversity of ecosystems that provide important benefits, including habitat for rare wildlife and plants, improved water quality, and recreation opportunities. Understanding how climate change will affect these ecosystems is vital for knowing how best to protect them and the services they supply. The goal of this project was to assess the climate change vulnerability of 12 key ecosystems in the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean, ranging from Caribbean coastal mangrove to Nashville Basin limestone glade and woodland. Scientists used the existing scientific literature and geospatial analysis to determine each ecosystem’s sensitivity to changes in climate, its exposure level to...
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Low-lying public lands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast are vulnerable to sea-level rise. Coastal planners and resource managers in the region have requested customized information that can be used to concisely communicate local sea-level rise scenarios and identify potential impacts to the missions of management agencies. In this project, researchers will work with the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative to develop fact sheets outlining potential sea-level rise scenarios for the region through 2100, and the potential impacts of these varying amounts of sea-level rise on the missions of national wildlife refuge and national park lands along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Researchers will draw from existing...
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Located between Wellfleet and Turo, Massachusetts, the 1100-acre Herring River watershed has historically provided many ecological and social benefits, including forest and wetland habitat for native fish, birds, and mammals and recreational and educational opportunities for residents and visitors. Construction of a dike and ditches beginning in the early 1900s constricted tidal exchange into the river basin, resulting in ecological degradation of the estuary, loss of valued salt marsh and extensive conversion to upland habitat vegetation. Tidal restrictions limit passage of fish species that spend their time in both fresh and salt water into the Herring River, have resulted in dangerous bacterial levels posing...
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Coastal wetlands purify water, protect coastal communities from storms, sequester (store) carbon, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. They are also vulnerable to climate change. In particular, changes in winter climate (warmer temperatures and fewer freeze events) may transform coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as mangrove forests are expected to expand their range and replace salt marshes. The objective of this research was to evaluate the ecological implications of mangrove forest migration and salt marsh displacement. As part of this project, researchers identified important thresholds for ecosystem changes and highlighted coastal areas in the southeastern U.S. (e.g., Texas, Louisiana,...
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Salt marshes are grassy wetlands that form along sheltered coastlines. These areas provide crucial habitats for many species of birds and other animals, in addition to recreational activities and economic opportunities. Marshes also protect the coast from storms and filter runoff from the landscape, ensuring cleaner and healthier coastal waters. As climate change causes sea levels to rise salt marshes are at risk of being drowned out if they are unable to grow quickly enough to stay above the rising tides. In order to build elevation and endure sea level rise, marshes trap sediment from tidal waters, which accumulates over time to build a platform that marsh grass can grow on. Along exposed coasts, humans have...
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Overview This project is using a combination of long-term data records and recently established large-scale adaptive management studies in managed forests across the Lake States, New England, Intermountain West, and Black Hills to identify forest management strategies and forest conditions that confer the greatest levels of resistance and resilience to past and emerging stressors and their relevance in addressing future global change. This work represents a broad partnership between scientists from the USFS Northern Research Station, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, USGS, University of MN, University of Maine, and Dartmouth College in an effort to capitalize on over 50 years of data collection on USFS...
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Overview A changing regional climate in the northeastern US has significant implications for the fundamental bioenergetics of fish species, with implications for their population resilience and their ability to provide critical ecosystem services, with particularly important implications for tribal communities. For example, warming soil and water temperatures may increase the accumulation of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic food webs and in freshwater and migratory fishes. High levels of MeHg currently generate most of the fish consumption advisories across the northeast US, and climate-driven increases carry substantial economic and health risks. However, climate impacts Hg dynamics via multiple pathways...
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Climate and land use change are affecting many aquatic species throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The objective of this project is to understand and plan for the changes in distribution of aquatic species considered “Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need” (RSGCN) in the mid-Atlantic region. Working with state and federal partners, this project will identify high priority species for conservation and obtain data on their known distributions. Researchers will model current and future spatial distributions of these high priority species by using known location records and associated climate, environmental, and land-use data. Comparing future predictions of species distributions...
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The northeastern U.S. is home to a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, leading to a variety of interactions occurring between species and climate on multiple scales. Therefore, the most effective strategy to produce and deliver scientific climate information to resource managers is to align the scales of climate projections with the scales of resource management actions. While available downscaled climate data provides information at very fine resolutions (4-6 km), its usability in helping management decisions and its reliability in capturing various regional weather and climate metrics remain unclear. The goal of this project is for researchers to collaborate with State Wildlife Action Plan coordinators...
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Fish that migrate between fresh and salt waters, called diadromous fishes, are integral to coastal Tribal cultures as subsistence foods. Throughout their Northeast range, diadromous fish populations have shown strong declines over recent decades due to the combined impacts of habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. These changes have led to decreasing access to traditional subsistence foods and connection to Tribal culture. It is therefore imperative to conduct habitat, population and other studies that assess cumulative impacts and identify actions to restore, protect, and adapt Tribal Trust Resources (i.e. river herring (alewife and blueback) and American eels). This project will collaborate...
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In the southwestern U.S., climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme droughts and cause an overall decrease in precipitation and increase in temperatures. These changes could impact a wide range of species in the region, even those adapted to living in arid environments. It’s possible that some species may be able to adapt to changing conditions by migrating to new locations or altering their behavior, while others may have genetic traits that activate physiological changes to cope with heat and water stress. This project focused on desert bighorn sheep and explored potential adaptations that may help them persist despite varying climates throughout their range. Previous research has shown...
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Drought poses a major threat to New Mexico’s state fish, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. This southernmost subspecies of cutthroat trout, found only in New Mexico and Colorado, has already been restricted to an estimated 12% of its former range. Now climate change, in the form of lower winter snowpack and reduced precipitation, challenges its long-term persistence. This trout tends to occupy small and fragmented streams, which are at higher risk of drying up during drought events. Yet, the full extent of drought impacts to Rio Grande cutthroat trout is unknown. To address this knowledge gap, researchers examined the effects of drought - in particular stream intermittency - on the growth and survival of Rio Grande...
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Understanding how climate change will influence habitat for interior species of native salmonids is critical for effective management and recovery of these species. The US Department of the Interior, the US Department of Agriculture, state fisheries managers, and non-governmental organizations are increasingly challenged in attempting the recovery and restoration of native trout and salmon throughout their range. USGS scientists, in partnership with the US Forest Service and Trout Unlimited, completed a database including all existing species distributions and habitat information, and air and water temperature data for the interior West. Maps defining existing and projected future distributions of native salmonids,...
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Overview Invasive species and climate change represent two of the five major global change threats to ecosystems. An emerging initiative of the Northeast Climate Science Center aims to develop management-relevant research to improve invasive species management in the face of climate change. Through working groups, information sharing and targeted research, this project addresses the information needs of invasive species managers in the context of climate change. RISCC Management is collaboratively led by the Department of Interior Northeast Climate Science Center, the New York Invasive Species Research Institute, and the University of Massachusetts to address the question “How can we manage for upcoming biological...
map background search result map search result map The Potential Influence of Changing Climate on the Persistence of Native Salmonids Ecological Implications of Mangrove Forest Migration in the Southeastern U.S. Assessing Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S. The Effects of Drought on Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout: The Role of Stream Intermittency Evaluating Adaptations of Desert Bighorn Sheep to Climate Change in the Southwestern U.S. Assessing the State of Water Resource Knowledge and Tools for Future Planning in the Lower Rio Grande-Rio Bravo Basin How and Why is the Timing and Occurrence of Seasonal Migrants in the Gulf of Maine Changing Due to Climate? Enhancing the Capacity of Coastal Wetlands to Adapt to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Development Identifying Best Agricultural Management Practices for Maintaining Soil Health and Sustainability Under Changing Climate Conditions Development of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers Communicating Future Sea-Level Rise Scenarios for Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge and National Park Lands Enhancing the Reliability and Usability of Climate Change Information for Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeastern United States Application of an Adaptive Management Plan to Reduce Uncertainty and Improve Decisions in Restoring the Herring River Estuary Assessing Future Climate Impacts on Threatened and Endangered Groundwater Dependent Species in the Edwards Aquifer Region Using a Novel Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Framework Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast Effects of Urban Coastal Armoring on Salt Marsh Sediment Supplies and Resilience to Climate Change Projecting the Distribution of Aquatic Species of Greatest Conservation Need Throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management Effects of Climate, Disturbance, and Management on the Growth and Dynamics of Temperate and Sub-Boreal Forest Ecosystems within the Lake States and New England Drivers of Growth, Migration, and Bioaccumulation in Target Fish Species: Implications for a Changing Regional Climate Application of an Adaptive Management Plan to Reduce Uncertainty and Improve Decisions in Restoring the Herring River Estuary Identifying Best Agricultural Management Practices for Maintaining Soil Health and Sustainability Under Changing Climate Conditions The Effects of Drought on Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout: The Role of Stream Intermittency Effects of Urban Coastal Armoring on Salt Marsh Sediment Supplies and Resilience to Climate Change Projecting the Distribution of Aquatic Species of Greatest Conservation Need Throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region Assessing Future Climate Impacts on Threatened and Endangered Groundwater Dependent Species in the Edwards Aquifer Region Using a Novel Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Framework How and Why is the Timing and Occurrence of Seasonal Migrants in the Gulf of Maine Changing Due to Climate? Drivers of Growth, Migration, and Bioaccumulation in Target Fish Species: Implications for a Changing Regional Climate Ecological Implications of Mangrove Forest Migration in the Southeastern U.S. Assessing the State of Water Resource Knowledge and Tools for Future Planning in the Lower Rio Grande-Rio Bravo Basin Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast Enhancing the Reliability and Usability of Climate Change Information for Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeastern United States The Potential Influence of Changing Climate on the Persistence of Native Salmonids Enhancing the Capacity of Coastal Wetlands to Adapt to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Development Communicating Future Sea-Level Rise Scenarios for Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge and National Park Lands Evaluating Adaptations of Desert Bighorn Sheep to Climate Change in the Southwestern U.S. Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management Effects of Climate, Disturbance, and Management on the Growth and Dynamics of Temperate and Sub-Boreal Forest Ecosystems within the Lake States and New England Development of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers Assessing Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S.