Projects by Region

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition, climate change and recreation are rapidly altering high elevation ecosystems. This project will evaluate long-term biogeochemical, hydrological, and ecological trends in Rocky Mountain National Park to understand the causes and rates of change in alpine and subalpine waters, soils, and vegetation. Policy makers and resource managers of high-elevation, protected...

Oklahoma and Texas are facing significant future water shortages that threaten farming and ranching communities. Though conservation-based management practices are being implemented across the states, there are inadequate tools for monitoring vegetation water use efficiency in real time. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will develop a web-based tool using high-resolution sa

Project Overview Increasing severe drought events occurring across the Colorado Plateau can harm vegetation and create drier and more flammable fuel for wildfire. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will analyze drought indices and satellite data to show how quickly after drought begins that different types of vegetation across the region show signs of health declines and increas

The sandbar willow of the Klamath River is used within the Karuk Tribe’s ongoing cultural practices of basketweaving. The willow has been threatened by intensifying fire and dams, but restoration and the recent historical dam removals provide an opportunity to increase the quantity, quality, and access to this important resource. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will study how

Climate change, invasive species, and diseases are threatening Northeastern forests, with consequences for bird populations and carbon storage. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will evaluate whether already-implemented climate adaptation strategies in the region have been effective at protecting bird habitat and what the implications of carbon storage have been. The analyses wi

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

Project Overview Infectious disease poses a growing threat to wildlife and human health, and managing disease threats is complicated by climatic changes that can change levels of disease risk. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will co-develop a method to rank wildlife disease threats under climate change, providing critical useable information to Montana’s wildlife manager

Native American agroecosystems, crucial to cultural identity, face threats from an increasing frequency and duration of severe droughts, which affect ancestral crop production and seed sustainability. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will collaborate with Indigenous horticulturalists to design and test whether wastewater gardens can help sustain crop seed production through

Rising sea levels and frequent intense storms are rapidly changing Northeastern US coastal landscapes and threatening the vital ecosystem services they provide. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will use landscape models, co-developed with coastal managers and tribal managers, to predict expected coastal changes for different environments (e.g., beaches, wetlands, rocky headland

Wetlands along the Gulf Coast are crucial for reducing hurricane-induced flooding and as habitat for diverse wildlife, but are threatened by rising sea levels, climate change, and coastal development. Using remote sensing data, future climate data, and numerical models, researchers from this South Central CASC-supported project will collaborate with local expert groups to create data and maps abou

Current stormwater management infrastructure and strategies in the northeastern US are built around historical weather data and not the weather that is expected with climate change, like more frequent extreme rainfall. This matters because stormwater can introduce pollution to streams and can cause flooding. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will combine climate data, stormwater

Project Overview Declining winter ice cover in the Great Lakes can affect how winds and waves influence coldwater fish reproduction on reefs, as ice cover may shield fish from these forces. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will measure water movement and ice cover in Lake Erie to model future scenarios, helping fishery managers in the region make habitat restoration and fish stoc