Wildlife and Plants
Wildlife and Plants
Wildlife and plants face many threats from climate change, including increased competition from invasive species, loss of access to freshwater, and shifting air and water temperatures. The CASCs study how fish, wildlife, and plants are responding to climate change and how resource managers can promote species' adaptation and resilience in the face of shifting conditions. Browse our projects.
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Developing a Cave Conservation Management Toolbox by Exploring Cave Microclimates and Biodiversity Patterns
The Southeastern United States has vast underground ecosystems where temperatures vary little throughout the year and humidity is always near 100%. These cave and karst ecosystems provide many services to people, such as recreational opportunities, revenue from tourism, and groundwater storage. Caves also provide habitats for important and endangered species, like bats that eat...
Development of a Surface Water Index of Permanence (SWIPe) Database to Assess Surface Water Availability for Ecohydrological Refugia
Surface-water availability has been identified as one of the biggest issues facing society in the 21st century. Where and when water is on the landscape can have profound impacts on the economy, wildlife behavior, recreational use, industrial practices, energy development, and many other aspects of life, society, and the environment. Projections indicate that surface-water availability...
Enhancing a Spatial Planning Tool to Inform Management of Reservoir Fisheries, Stream Flows, and Societal Water Needs in the Red River
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of water resources requires careful stewardship of water for societal uses (i.e. municipal, agricultural, and industrial sectors) and also for the many other benefits that aquatic ecosystems provide to humans. In particular, reservoir fisheries and river ecosystems provide a range of economic, cultural, and recreational benefits. Maximizing the...
Enhancing Climate Adaptation for Native Communities in Western Alaska: Linking Pollinator Diversity and Abundance to Berry Production in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Berry-producing plants, a key resource in Alaska Native communities, provide primary subsistence and have been integral to maintaining cultural cohesion, sense of place, and physical ties to the surrounding landscape. Despite the importance of berry-producing plants, relatively little is known about their vulnerability to changes in climate and environmental conditions. The dynamics of...
Evaluating How Snow Avalanches Impact Mountain Goat Populations in Southeast Alaska
Snow avalanches alter mountain environments and have both beneficial and harmful effects on wildlife. Avalanches can benefit wildlife by creating open areas for grazing but can also be deadly when animals are buried in avalanche debris. Avalanches pose high risks to mountain goats because they inhabit rugged and steep terrain, but the actual impacts of avalanches on mountain goats remain...
From Water to Wildlife: Linking Water Timing and Availability to Meadows and Wildlife in a Changing Climate
Mountain meadows in the western United States provide key habitats for many plant and wildlife species, many of which rely exclusively on these areas. Mountain meadows are also treasured by the public and provide beautiful areas to view wildflowers and wildlife on public lands such as national parks. However, mountain ecosystems are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate...
Future Aquatic Invaders of the Northeast U.S.: How Climate Change, Human Vectors, and Natural History Could Bring Southern and Western Species North
There are significant investments by states and resource agencies in the northeast U.S. for invasive aquatic species monitoring and management. These investments in jurisdictional waters help maintain their use for drinking, industry, and recreation. It is essential to understand the risks from invasive species, because once established, species can be costly to society and difficult or...
Future of the Colorado River (Phase 2): Reservoir Operation to Balance Water Supply and River Ecosystems in the Grand Canyon
State and federal agencies are negotiating long-term water-supply agreements for the Colorado River basin, but current policies prioritize water supply over ecological factors due to limited knowledge about how water storage strategies impact ecosystems. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will develop a tool to evaluate river ecosystem outcomes of various patterns of...
Identifying Thermal Refugia for Brook Trout Climate Adaptation in Coldwater Streams
Climate change is making coldwater stream fish and their habitats more vulnerable than ever. In the Midwest, warming stream temperatures threaten recreational fishing for brook trout in their native range around the Great Lakes. To ensure that brook trout populations will persist into the future, it is crucial to focus management on areas where brook trout populations are most resilient...
Impact of Climate Driven Changes to Water Levels on Recreational Fisheries in the Northern Glaciated Plains
The Northern Glaciated Plains in the upper Midwest United States is a region where fishing generates millions of dollars a year for local and state economies. Maintaining these revenues requires the management of fish populations that are popular and accessible (e.g. boat ramps, public land access) to anglers. Fisheries throughout the world are currently undergoing unprecedented changes...
Improving Water Resilience and Availability Through Culturally Prescribed Fires as a Management Tool on Yurok Tribal Lands
Climate Change is making our environment unpredictable. Increased persistence of drought is causing deaths of plants and animals across our landscapes. However, drought amongst the western United States is not a new thing. Native American populations have been living with drought since time immemorial and practiced culturally prescribed fire practices to foster the landscape for an...
Incorporating Climate, Disease and Invasive Species into the Conservation of a First Food, Klamath Redband Trout
Climate change has the potential to magnify existing problems in conservation, such as invasive species and disease. This threat is particularly severe in the Klamath Basin, where the fish parasite Ceratonova shastais making national headlines for killing salmon, and invasive trout have extirpated populations of native trout. The Klamath Basin is slated for one of the largest restoration...