Science Tools for Managers
Science Tools for Managers
Through our science projects, the CASCs strive to conduct science that is directly useful to resource managers and informs adaptation decision making. CASC-funded researchers develop data sets, web applications, assessments, surveys, and other tools that are publicly available for future management or research projects. Browse our projects on this topic below.
Filter Total Items: 592
Evaluating Climate-related Threats and Conservation Strategies for the Cascade Red Fox in Washington
The endangered Cascade red fox, native to Washington’s southern Cascades, faces threats from climate change, habitat loss, and coyotes, which are both competitors and predators. Researchers supported by this Northwest CASC project will track Cascade red fox population sizes, movement, habitat use, and survival using GPS collars. They will use the collected data in collaboration with...
Forecasting Changes in Avian Biodiversity Under Changing Climate
Infrastructure development and climate change pose significant threats to migratory bird populations by altering their distributions and habitat. This Northeast CASC-supported research team will use citizen-science and structured monitoring data to identify current and future areas that are important for migratory bird species across the Northeastern US. Researchers will produce high...
Hydrologic Futures Web Tool Development Project
Project Overview Many websites that visualize climate change data can often be confusing and misleading to decision makers when they are researching information to devise management plans for water, wildlife, and other natural resources. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will improve the ability of biologists, water managers, and other resource managers to effectively and...
Improving Land Change Models for Climate Adaptation, Urban Development, and Conservation Action Across the US Caribbean
Project Overview Climate and economic stressors are causing large numbers of people to emigrate from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, even while new development continues. To provide a tool to help managers and policymakers make informed decisions about development and conservation, researchers for this Southeast CASC-supported project will co-produce a land change model that can...
Informing Management Options for Grizzly Bears in a Changing Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
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...
Linking Snow and Subsurface Microclimatic Refugia to Assess Climate Threats to Pygmy Rabbits
Project Overview: Extreme weather conditions may disrupt key life cycle events for pygmy rabbits, a species that relies on snow and underground burrows for protection from predators and extreme cold. Researchers supported by this Northwest CASC project will use models to understand how different snow patterns and subsurface temperatures will impact pygmy rabbit habitats. Project outcomes...
Machine Learning for High-Resolution Downscaling in the Hawaiian Islands
Project Overview Climate change is expected to change rainfall patterns on pacific islands like Hawaiʻi, but current global models lack the resolution to accurately predict local rainfall. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will use machine learning models and historical data to improve rainfall predictions and create detailed rainfall maps for Hawaiʻi that can be...
Mapping Habitat Connectivity and Climate Refugia in Headwater Ecosystems to Support Amphibian Conservation
Forests in the Pacific Northwest support an extensive network of headwater streams and critical habitats for over 50 amphibian species, but face challenges from historical resource extraction, forest management, and climate change. Researchers supported by this Northwest CASC project will identify and map climate refugia to guide conservation strategies for at-risk amphibians, producing...
Predicting Invasive Vine Spread in the Southeast using Remote Sensing and Species Distribution Models
Project Overview Climate change is expected to worsen the spread of invasive vines in the Southeast, where they disrupt ecosystems and damage human-built systems like agriculture and infrastructure. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will combine species distribution models and remote sensing to improve predictions of vine spread by including often-overlooked biotic...
Reconstructing Vegetation and Climate Histories on Palmyra Atoll to Assist with Climate-Smart Adaptation
Project Overview Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a critical nesting site for seabirds in the central Pacific Ocean, with ecosystems that are regularly impacted by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project aim to understand how past ENSO-driven climate variability and human activities have affected vegetation and...
Refining Flood Risk Predictions in Hawaiʻi with Generative Machine Learning
Project Overview As climate change intensifies, accurately forecasting regional flood, drought, and heat risks is critical for planning, but current global climate models lack the resolution needed for useful local predictions. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create high-resolution precipitation maps and flood...
Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate
Project Overview The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and other native bees and pollinators, are declining due to climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors like pathogens and pesticide-use. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will study how certain stressors interact to affect the geographic distribution of Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, using mapping techniques and future...