Landscapes
Landscapes
From boreal forests to coral reefs, the United States is home to a plethora of diverse ecosystems, each of which faces different challenges under climate change. CASC-supported scientists are examining how landscapes of all types are being affected by changing temperature and precipitation patterns and how managers can best facilitate climate adaptation. Browse our projects by landscape below.
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The Arctic in the Classroom: Study of Landscape Change in Remote Communities of Alaska: A K-12 Citizen Science Initiative toward Sustained Arctic Observations
Alaska’s land, water, plants, wildlife, and seasons are undergoing a great upheaval, and its people, especially the communities living in remote villages are directly and severely impacted by these widespread environmental changes. These changes are not only widespread but also often so rapid that we cannot possibly have enough scientists and professionals on the ground to detect and predict these
Turning the Science of Connectivity into Action: Finding Model Consistency and Identifying Priority Habitats for Conservation
Habitat fragmentation occurs when loss of habitat (e.g. to land use changes or human development) divides large or connected habitat areas into smaller, more isolated areas. This process is recognized as one of the most pressing conservation issues in the Southeastern U.S. Habitat loss and fragmentation reduces the amount of suitable habitat available to wildlife species, divides wildlife populati
Understanding the Effect of Climate Change on the Migration of Marshallese Islanders
As one of the lowest-lying island nation-states in the world, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is acutely vulnerable to sea-level rise, flooding, and the associated intrusion of saltwater into crucial freshwater supplies. Persistent drought is further affecting agricultural production in the RMI. Many Marshallese communities are already experiencing these changes and are migrating to lar
Using Genetic Information to Understand Drought Tolerance and Bark Beetle Resistance in Whitebark Pine Forests
Forests are of tremendous ecological and economic importance. They provide natural places for recreation, clean drinking water, and important habitats for fish and wildlife. However, the warmer temperatures and harsher droughts in the west that are related to climate change are causing die-offs of many trees. Outbreaks of insects, like the mountain pine beetle, that kill trees are also more likely
Webinar: Past, Present and Future Effects of Land-use Changes on Functional Connectivity in the Southern Great Plains
View this webinar to learn about the effects of land-use changes in the Southern Great Plains.
Webinar: Using State-and-Transition Simulation Models to Guide Sustainable Management of Ecosystems: Three Case Studies from across the US
View this webinar to learn more about species distribution modeling, management of Southeast ecosystems, and Greater sage-grouse habitats.
Air Quality Impacts of Climate-Induced Changes on Forest Composition
Forests play a role in air quality by supplying the atmosphere with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), precursors to ozone and aerosols. Different tree types emit different VOCs, each with different capacity to form ozone and aerosols. Therefore, shifts in forest composition may impact ozone and aerosol yields. Climate change is one of the expected drivers of forest change. In particular, the curr
Assessing the Sustainability of Culturally Important Marine Sites in Guam and CNMI
This project was designed to use climate models to produce projections of changes in sea temperatures and ocean chemistry for coastal marine areas in Micronesia as well as reports that describe the outlook of culturally important marine sites in Guam and CNMI. The projections and maps were expected show what the current state of climate science suggests the future holds for marine areas in Microne
Building Capacity for Coordination of Strategic Science Research in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands
Small Pacific islands are especially vulnerable to climate change. Challenges these coastal communities face include sea level rise, erosion, saltwater intrusion, flooding, droughts, and coral bleaching which in turn affect food and water security, infrastructure, and the health of humans and ecosystems. These small islands also have limited resources; therefore, managing them effectively is impor
Can Prescribed Fire Help Forests Survive Drought in the Sierra Nevada Mountains?
In 2017, California was experiencing its most severe drought in over a millennia. Low rainfall and record high temperatures resulted in increased tree mortality and complete forest diebacks across the West. Though land managers scrambled to respond, they lacked information needed to make informed decisions. Focusing on California’s central and southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, this project seeks t
Climate Change Adaptation for Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) along the East Coast of the United States protect habitat for a host of wildlife species, while also offering storm surge protection, improving water quality, supporting nurseries for commercially important fish and shellfish, and providing recreation opportunities for coastal communities. Yet in the last century, coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been se
Climate Change Implications for the Conservation of Amphibians in Tropical Environments
Climate and land use change will strongly affect tropical island ecosystems and trust species (like migratory birds and threatened and endangered species). The risks of significant negative impacts are likely to be higher in these island systems than in many temperate regions of the world because of the limited size of their land masses, high numbers of species that only exist in narrowly defined