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Small lakes are important to local economies as sources of water supply and places of recreation. Commonly, lakes are considered more desirable for recreation if they are free of the thick weedy vegetation, often comprised of invasive species, that grows around the lake edge. This vegetation makes it difficult to launch boats and swim. In order to reduce this vegetation, a common technique in the Northeast and Midwest U.S. is a ‘winter drawdown’ . In a winter drawdown, the lake level is artificially lowered (via controls in a dam) during the winter to expose shoreline vegetation to freezing conditions, thereby killing them and preserving recreational value of the lake. However, this practice can impact both water...
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Tribal resource managers in the southwest U.S. are facing a host of challenges related to environmental change, including increasing temperatures, longer periods of drought, and invasive species. These threats are exacerbating the existing challenges of managing complex ecosystems. In a rapidly changing environment, resource managers need powerful tools and the most complete information to make the most effective decisions possible. Traditional Ecological Knowledge has enabled Indigenous peoples to adaptively manage and thrive in diverse environments for thousands of years, yet it is generally underutilized and undervalued, particularly in the context of western scientific approaches. Traditional Ecological...
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Project Overview Restoring grass-dominated landscapes into resilient forested ecosystems is a key strategy for addressing the growing risk of wildfire Hawaiʻi. However, conventional afforestation efforts typically require regular maintenance due to the persistent invasion of grasses in planted areas. In collaboration with Native Hawaiian Organizations, researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will test dense plantings of keystone species and intensive mulching, aiming to restore traditional agroforest ecosystems that support cultural practices and improve disaster mitigation. Public Summary With the growing threat of wildfires in Hawaiʻi, highlighted by recent events such as the Lahaina wildfires,...
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Project Overview The iconic grizzly bear of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has exhibited a remarkable recovery in response to concerted conservation actions implemented since its listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. However, information regarding the potential effects and timing of climate change in conjunction with increasing human recreation and development will be important for future management of this population. Investigating these potential impacts and providing manager with a range of actionable options to mitigate their effects is the goal of this study. Researchers supported by this North Central project will use grizzly bear demographic and climate data to collaboratively...
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The US Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) has experienced some of the highest rates of grassland loss in North America over a time that coincides with dramatic declines in grassland songbird populations yet increasing abundance of most grassland-nesting duck species except for northern pintail. To provide more insight into this contradiction, we propose to capitalize on long-term databases to evaluate how a key population driver nest survival for North American ducks has responded to system changes in the region including landscape and climatic factors. Outcomes of these analyses will contribute to testing primary conservation planning assumptions for the PPJV a vital component of the PPJV Strategic Habitat Conservation...
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Grassland loss to woody encroachment is widespread and ongoing. Mechanical removal of Eastern Red Cedar (ERC) is the most cost-shared practice to address this threat. Cost-share is provided based on acres with different levels of infestation. Delineation of the different levels of infestation is time consuming butrequired to ensure the appropriate amount of cost-share is provided and contractors are not over/under compensated. The Rangeland Brush Estimation Toolbox(RaBET) is geospatial tool that can accurately automate this process. Unfortunately,wet-meadows and other wetland features cause the tool to overestimate woody cover. This project will provide funds to finish the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). This...
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Using a solutions-oriented, multi-agency collaboration, we propose to pilot a large-scale assessment of an alternative (herding, electric- and virtual-fence) grazing strategy designed to mimic pre-colonial grazing patterns by bison, to ascertain their value for local- and regional-scale assemblages ofsagebrush- and grassland-associated birds in Montana. A fundamental goal of most wildlife-based grazing programs is to foster a mosaic of patches that represent the broadest possible spectrum of habitat types that benefits different sagebrush- and grassland-associated birds in different parts of the landscape (for example, western meadowlarks, vesper sparrows, and thick-billed longspur in open, heavily grazed areas;...
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Conifer removal and management is a key tool for restoring sagebrush ecosystems and Greater Sage-Grouse populations, though the response of other sagebrush-obligate birds, including Pinyon Jays, to conifer management has not been well-studied. Quantifying the response of avian species to conifer management will inform conservation delivery to ensure that agencies achieve sagebrush bird and habitat objectives while minimizing impacts on Pinyon Jays in the sagebrush/pinon-juniper woodland ecotone. The results of this project will address key science needs on Pinyon Jays and directly inform more effective conifer management throughout the eastern Great Basin. Without these data, we will be unable to provide science-based...
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Insect pollinators-particularly native bees-are critically important in the maintenance of terrestrial plant and animal communities, yet our understanding of how contemporary threats influence this group and the pollination services they provide is virtually unstudied with the sagebrush biome. Our investigation will quantify how bee communities respond to widespread threats to sagebrush-wildfire and invasive annual grasses-and provide foundational knowledge needed for undertaking informed management decisions to improve the resilience of the biome.
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Communicating the value of keeping existing grass as grass is a high priority of the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture partnership to ensure rangeland retention activities receive recognition as an important strategy for implementing strategic grasslands conservation. This is a pilot effort to assess socio-economic factors associated with avoided loss of grasslands (i.e., what is the value to individual landowners, communities, and to society of voluntarily retaining working grasslands?). This assessment may include the value of ecosystem services but also financial impacts on communities and municipalities, food supply chains, public services, schools, etc.; it is anticipated to be informed by an expert panel....
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The Hawai‘i Drought Knowledge Exchange project has been successfully piloting three sets of formal collaborative knowledge exchanges between researchers and managers to co-produce customized, site specific drought data products to meet the needs of their partners. Through these pilots, knowledge co-production has demonstrated how active collaboration between researchers and managers in the design and production of data products can lead to more useful and accessible applications for drought planning and management. Resource managers have strongly embraced the need for better and more timely information on climate change, variability and drought, as these stressors exert a large and costly impact on resources...
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The populations of many forest birds have declined in recent decades due to loss of habitat area and degradation of habitat quality. Past land management has left the landscape of the heavily forested Appalachian Mountains with too little old growth as well as too few young, regenerating forests. This change in habitat structure has led to the listing of several forest birds as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Active management is needed to maintain habitat for these species, but climate change may alter the kinds of management that are effective. Climate change is likely to affect forest structure – and bird habitat suitability – because of shifts in temperature, precipitation, and disturbance. While current...
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Indigenous knowledge systems, such as traditional ecological knowledge, contain climate observations and adaptation strategies reaching back millennia. These include methods for caring for our natural resources and relations, such as through drought resilient agriculture, soil, and water management practices. Despite a growing global recognition among researchers and resource managers of the value of Indigenous knowledges and practices for enhancing human capacity to adapt to climate change impacts, we face historic inequities that hinder cross-cultural knowledge exchange and innovation. This includes a tendency towards extractive research, accessing Indigenous knowledges without regarding Indigenous decision-making...
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The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an insect causing extensive hemlock tree die-offs in the northeast, and a lack of information on climate adaptation practices is hindering effective forest management. With the overall goal of fostering resilient forests that support northeastern hemlock ecosystems and wildlife, researchers supported by this Northeast-CASC project will work with land managers to identify information gaps and to develop management plans and a decision support tool tailored to the specific ecological, economic, and cultural management goals of different forests. The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an invasive insect that has caused extensive hemlock death from Georgia to Maine in many of the densest...
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Feral horse populations in the southwestern United States, including on tribal lands, are far above sustainable levels. This overpopulation poses threats to rangeland ecosystems as the feral horses compete with native species and livestock for limited resources – which likely will become even more limited with climate change. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will partner with tribal agencies to generate reliable population size estimates of feral horse populations. These estimates are essential for tribal agencies to create effective management plans to protect rangelands. Overabundant feral horse populations are a major concern on southwestern rangelands because of their tendency to degrade...
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Project Overview Climate change threatens plants and animals across the US, making it important to have tools that can efficiently assess species’ vulnerabilities. In this project, CASC scientists and NatureServe are collaborating to update a popular Climate Change Vulnerability Index to include the latest scientific data, improved metrics, and new user-friendly technology. The tool will help state biologists and scientists prioritize conservation efforts, and in time for preparing updates to State Wildlife Action Plans that are due by 2025. Project Summary Climate change is impacting our nation’s plants and animals. To take preventative actions, public land managers need to know which species are most threatened,...
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Increasing wildfire activity in much of North America is having severe impacts on society and ecosystems. Climate change is a key driver of changing fire regimes across North America, with varying expressions across the continent. Modern fire records, while useful, are too short to fully characterize the complex patterns and non-linear dynamics of fire-climate relationships that are required to understand future fire activity in a warmer climate. Tree-ring fire scars offer a unique perspective because they are spatially precise, direct evidence of fires with annual to sub-annual resolution spanning centuries. For the first time, we have compiled tree-ring fire scar records across North America (n = 2,593 sites,...
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Rural communities near large, protected areas like National Parks often face heightened social vulnerability and environmental risks (e.g., flooding), which are expected to worsen with climate and land-use changes. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will collaborate with stakeholders and communities in the Southern Appalachians and Congaree to refine strategies for addressing these combined vulnerabilities. They will create maps and projections outlining high-risk areas that can be used by conservation managers and policymakers to prioritize management actions benefiting both the environment and human communities. People living near large, protected areas, such as National Parks, face a complex...
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The Conservation Efforts Database (CED) in a web-based monitoring and reporting tool that captures data about the conservation, restoration, and recovery actions for the imperiled sagebrush ecosystemand sage-grouse. Funding support from FWS (Science Applications and Nevada Ecological Services) have allowed the CED Team to develop a module for recording data about conservation actions, habitat condition, demography, and genetic information for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and we propose to expand that effort to include aquatic systems in Legacy Region 6. We propose to use funding to engage with stakeholders to scope the information gaps and tool needs to record and monitor conservation actions and information focused...
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We will apply indices of sagebrush ecological integrity, developed by WAFWA, to hierarchical population models of sage-grouse population rates of change over multiple decades to facilitate comprehensive understanding of the links between sagebrush ecosystem health and sagebrush obligate species from the lens of the Conservation Design Strategy. This research will investigate application of core area habitat concepts as it relates to sage-grouse population performance to manage lands within the sagebrush biome. The analysis framework and science deliverables developed from this study can be used as a basis to investigate the population performance of additional species of concern, beyond sage-grouse, in relation...
map background search result map search result map Exploring the Past to Plan for the Future: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Paleoperspectives to Inform Climate Change Adaptation Rethinking Lake Management for Invasive Plants Under Future Climate: Sensitivity of Lake Ecosystems to Winter Water Level Drawdowns Scaling up the Hawai‘i Drought Knowledge Exchange: Expanding Stakeholder Reach and Capacity to Address Climate Change, Variability, and Drought Informing Climate-Adaptive Forest Management for Breeding Bird Habitat in the Southern Appalachians Evaluating patterns of long-term system change and demographic response for grassland nesting ducks in the US Prairie Pothole Region Conservation Efforts Database: Rocky Mountain Cutthroat Trout Module Scoping Wetland Mask to Improve Woody Cover Mapping Assessing Traditional and Emerging Grazing Strategies for Creating a Mosaic of Diverse Habitat Patches for Grassland- and Sagebrush Associated Birds Shifting from Extractive to Self-determined: Enhancing Indigenous Research and Data Governance in Southwest Climate Adaptation Initiatives Effect of conifer treatments and landscape management on sagebrush obligate songbirds and Pinyon Jays in the Great Basin Understanding greater sage-grouse population trends from the lens of the WAFWA Conservation Design Strategy: implications for management of impacted, core, and growth opportunity areas within the sagebrush biome Assessing the impact of invasive annual grasses and wildfire on native pollinators within the sagebrush-steppe biome Quantifying the Value of Intact Grasslands Informing Management Options for Grizzly Bears in a Changing Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Climate Smart Forest Adaptation in the Wake of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Developing a Next-Generation Climate Change Vulnerability Index in Support of Climate-Informed Natural-Resource Management Science-Driven Methods for Scaling Afforestation of Dry Grass-Dominated Landscapes Co-producing Robust Estimates of Feral Horses on Tribal Lands Social-Ecological Vulnerability in Human Communities Surrounding Large Protected Areas in the Southeast Science-Driven Methods for Scaling Afforestation of Dry Grass-Dominated Landscapes Informing Climate-Adaptive Forest Management for Breeding Bird Habitat in the Southern Appalachians Wetland Mask to Improve Woody Cover Mapping Informing Management Options for Grizzly Bears in a Changing Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Assessing the impact of invasive annual grasses and wildfire on native pollinators within the sagebrush-steppe biome Assessing Traditional and Emerging Grazing Strategies for Creating a Mosaic of Diverse Habitat Patches for Grassland- and Sagebrush Associated Birds Effect of conifer treatments and landscape management on sagebrush obligate songbirds and Pinyon Jays in the Great Basin Climate Smart Forest Adaptation in the Wake of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Exploring the Past to Plan for the Future: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Paleoperspectives to Inform Climate Change Adaptation Shifting from Extractive to Self-determined: Enhancing Indigenous Research and Data Governance in Southwest Climate Adaptation Initiatives Evaluating patterns of long-term system change and demographic response for grassland nesting ducks in the US Prairie Pothole Region Scaling up the Hawai‘i Drought Knowledge Exchange: Expanding Stakeholder Reach and Capacity to Address Climate Change, Variability, and Drought Co-producing Robust Estimates of Feral Horses on Tribal Lands Rethinking Lake Management for Invasive Plants Under Future Climate: Sensitivity of Lake Ecosystems to Winter Water Level Drawdowns Conservation Efforts Database: Rocky Mountain Cutthroat Trout Module Scoping Understanding greater sage-grouse population trends from the lens of the WAFWA Conservation Design Strategy: implications for management of impacted, core, and growth opportunity areas within the sagebrush biome Social-Ecological Vulnerability in Human Communities Surrounding Large Protected Areas in the Southeast Quantifying the Value of Intact Grasslands Developing a Next-Generation Climate Change Vulnerability Index in Support of Climate-Informed Natural-Resource Management