CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services
Active
By Climate Adaptation Science Centers
January 17, 2025
CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) is a new, multi-year pilot effort to respond to management needs on climate adaptation. The program provides partners with tailored climate adaptation science, advice, and training to help them rapidly incorporate adaptation science into planning and decision making.
Overview
The CATS team seeks to learn, through iterative engagement with resource management partners, how the CASC network can improve the ability of its partner to access, use, and interpret available climate adaptation science. This pilot is a natural complement to the regional and national CASC research programs that focus on developing and delivering new climate adaptation science.
The technical climate services provided by the CATS team enable Department of the Interior bureaus and partners to:
- more rapidly incorporate climate adaptation science into their plans, practices, and decisions,
- increase staff understanding of climate adaptation science,
- increase staff skills in using climate adaptation science, and
- grow trusted relationships with the CASC program.
What services does this initiative provide?
- Scientific advice to connect expert partners to existing data, tools, and science resources. This advice may include iterative engagement with partners to understand management challenges, assess data and tool needs, or provide training to help partners use and interpret existing tools and data resources.
- Scientific analysis and synthesis of available data and literature on relevant climate sensitivities, exposure, and risks.
- Data and tool development to improve access, visualization, and analysis for partner decision making
- Combinations of advice, analysis, synthesis, and data and tool development to support more complex climate adaptation needs from natural and cultural resource managers
CATS Service: Scientific Advice
CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) team provides scientific advise to connect expert partners to existing data, tools, and science resources.
CATS Service: Scientific Analysis and Synthesis
The CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) team analyzes and synthesizes available data and literature on relevant climate sensitivities, exposure, and risks.
CATS Service: Data and Tool Development
The CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) team develops data and tools to improve access, visualization, and analysis for partner decision making.
Developing a Next-Generation Climate Change Vulnerability Index in Support of Climate-Informed Natural-Resource Management
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...
Developing High-Resolution Soil Moisture Projections for the Contiguous U.S.
Ecological drought impacts ecosystems across the U.S. that support a wide array of economic activity and ecosystem services. Managing drought-vulnerable natural resources is a growing challenge for federal, state and Tribal land managers. Plant communities and animal populations are strongly linked to patterns of drought and soil moisture availability. As a result, ecosystems may be...
Characterizing Climate Change Impacts on Species Ecology to Support Species Status Assessments
Species Status Assessments provide vital information to US Fish and Wildlife for improving considerations for climate change impacts. In the constrained timeline of species listing decisions, it is not always feasible to conduct lengthy quantitative analyses so there is a need for better resources to provide input for rapid decision-making. In this project, the team will work with...
CATS Service: Scientific Advice
CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) team provides scientific advise to connect expert partners to existing data, tools, and science resources.
CATS Service: Scientific Analysis and Synthesis
The CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) team analyzes and synthesizes available data and literature on relevant climate sensitivities, exposure, and risks.
CATS Service: Data and Tool Development
The CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) team develops data and tools to improve access, visualization, and analysis for partner decision making.
Developing a Next-Generation Climate Change Vulnerability Index in Support of Climate-Informed Natural-Resource Management
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...
Developing High-Resolution Soil Moisture Projections for the Contiguous U.S.
Ecological drought impacts ecosystems across the U.S. that support a wide array of economic activity and ecosystem services. Managing drought-vulnerable natural resources is a growing challenge for federal, state and Tribal land managers. Plant communities and animal populations are strongly linked to patterns of drought and soil moisture availability. As a result, ecosystems may be...
Characterizing Climate Change Impacts on Species Ecology to Support Species Status Assessments
Species Status Assessments provide vital information to US Fish and Wildlife for improving considerations for climate change impacts. In the constrained timeline of species listing decisions, it is not always feasible to conduct lengthy quantitative analyses so there is a need for better resources to provide input for rapid decision-making. In this project, the team will work with...