Archived Events
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The Art and Science of Developing a Menu of Climate Change Adaptation Actions for Managing Wildlife and Ecosystems
The Adaptation Workbook is a structured process to consider the potential effects of climate change and design land management and conservation actions that can help prepare for changing conditions. The process is completely flexible to accommodate a wide variety of geographic locations, ownership types, ecosystems and land uses, management goals, and project sizes. Our webinar will detail the broader process of developing a menu of climate adaptation strategies and approaches for terrestrial wildlife management to help managers translate broad concepts into specific tactics that will respond to climate change risks and meet desired management goals. We will present a recent application of this process for managing wildlife populations and their habitat. We will further demonstrate an ecosystem-specific application for developing climate adaptation strategies for vulnerable grassland systems. Understanding how climate change might affect ecosystems and wildlife is of mounting concern, and developing real-world climate adaptation plans is an essential tool for conservation practitioners and managers.
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The Adaptation Workbook is a structured process to consider the potential effects of climate change and design land management and conservation actions that can help prepare for changing conditions. The process is completely flexible to accommodate a wide variety of geographic locations, ownership types, ecosystems and land uses, management goals, and project sizes. Our webinar will detail the broader process of developing a menu of climate adaptation strategies and approaches for terrestrial wildlife management to help managers translate broad concepts into specific tactics that will respond to climate change risks and meet desired management goals. We will present a recent application of this process for managing wildlife populations and their habitat. We will further demonstrate an ecosystem-specific application for developing climate adaptation strategies for vulnerable grassland systems. Understanding how climate change might affect ecosystems and wildlife is of mounting concern, and developing real-world climate adaptation plans is an essential tool for conservation practitioners and managers.
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webinar
Conservation and management challenges for a poorly understood, declining species in a changing landscape
Pinyon Jays are an iconic species of piñon-juniper woodlands across the Intermountain West. Since the late 1960’s, the species has experienced significant, long-term population declines and is now under review for potential listing under the Endangered Species Act. Despite their noisy and gregarious nature, Pinyon Jays are poorly understood, and the specific drivers of decline are unknown. As partners begin research on Pinyon Jay demographics and habitat use, we are also beginning to investigate how impacts of climate change on piñon-juniper woodlands could affect jay populations. Through bringing together an understanding of Pinyon Jay biology, natural woodland dynamics, effects of anthropogenic change, climate change, among others, we can begin to strive for success with both jay and piñon-juniper woodland conservation. Pinyon Jay conservation is dependent on managing a climate resilient, ecologically functional woodland ecosystem into the future.
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Pinyon Jays are an iconic species of piñon-juniper woodlands across the Intermountain West. Since the late 1960’s, the species has experienced significant, long-term population declines and is now under review for potential listing under the Endangered Species Act. Despite their noisy and gregarious nature, Pinyon Jays are poorly understood, and the specific drivers of decline are unknown. As partners begin research on Pinyon Jay demographics and habitat use, we are also beginning to investigate how impacts of climate change on piñon-juniper woodlands could affect jay populations. Through bringing together an understanding of Pinyon Jay biology, natural woodland dynamics, effects of anthropogenic change, climate change, among others, we can begin to strive for success with both jay and piñon-juniper woodland conservation. Pinyon Jay conservation is dependent on managing a climate resilient, ecologically functional woodland ecosystem into the future.
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Homes on the Range
In this follow-up presentation to "Present and future suitable habitat for the black-tailed prairie dog ecosystem" by Davidson et al, we will take a closer look at the potential landscapes identified for the conservation of the prairie dog ecosystem across North America’s Central Grasslands. Our analysis incorporated ecological, political, and social factors, along with changing climate and land use to maximize long-term conservation potential. These priority areas represent 17% of the historical distribution of black-tailed prairie dogs and remain strongholds under projected climate change. Our findings highlight the large conservation potential for BTPDs and associated species, especially those that depend on extensive prairie dog colony complexes and intact habitat to support their populations. The maps we generated in this analysis can be incorporated into other large-scale, multi-species conservation planning efforts being developed for the Central Grasslands of North America for local, Tribal, federal, state and private lands and wildlife managers.
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In this follow-up presentation to "Present and future suitable habitat for the black-tailed prairie dog ecosystem" by Davidson et al, we will take a closer look at the potential landscapes identified for the conservation of the prairie dog ecosystem across North America’s Central Grasslands. Our analysis incorporated ecological, political, and social factors, along with changing climate and land use to maximize long-term conservation potential. These priority areas represent 17% of the historical distribution of black-tailed prairie dogs and remain strongholds under projected climate change. Our findings highlight the large conservation potential for BTPDs and associated species, especially those that depend on extensive prairie dog colony complexes and intact habitat to support their populations. The maps we generated in this analysis can be incorporated into other large-scale, multi-species conservation planning efforts being developed for the Central Grasslands of North America for local, Tribal, federal, state and private lands and wildlife managers.
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webinar
ClimateToolbox.ORG: A Discussion of Climate Applications to Support Quantitative Climate Change Impact Assessment and Scenario Planning
Recent years have seen great advances in the availability of downscaled climate data and tools to inform climate change impact or vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation planning. This presentation will discuss various tools available through https://ClimateToolbox.ORG to access downscaled future climate projections relevant for ecological applications, examine future climate uncertainty and develop quantitative information to inform scenario planning activities. We will specifically discuss the Future Climate Scenarios tool and an updated version of Future Climate Scatter tool, which are the latest additions/improvements to the toolbox motivated by the ongoing collaboration between North Central CASC and US Fish & Wildlife Service to inform Species Status Assessments. These tools and the underlying climate and hydrological projections data can collectively support a wide array of applications for developing quantitative information to support climate adaptation and scenario planning.
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Recent years have seen great advances in the availability of downscaled climate data and tools to inform climate change impact or vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation planning. This presentation will discuss various tools available through https://ClimateToolbox.ORG to access downscaled future climate projections relevant for ecological applications, examine future climate uncertainty and develop quantitative information to inform scenario planning activities. We will specifically discuss the Future Climate Scenarios tool and an updated version of Future Climate Scatter tool, which are the latest additions/improvements to the toolbox motivated by the ongoing collaboration between North Central CASC and US Fish & Wildlife Service to inform Species Status Assessments. These tools and the underlying climate and hydrological projections data can collectively support a wide array of applications for developing quantitative information to support climate adaptation and scenario planning.
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webinar
Modeling invasive species considering climate to inform management activities
Invasive species are a top concern of resource managers and are already shifting their ranges as they spread after initial introduction and establishment. Species distribution models are a common tool to predict where invasive species may establish under both current and future climate conditions. While these habitat suitability models can be useful, it is also important to understand their limitations. We have developed models identifying areas suitable for invasive plants that are often driven by climate. In some cases, we have developed habitat suitability models for species and applied these models to future climate scenarios to identify areas that may become climatically suitable in the future. Climate change adds another level of uncertainty in predicting invasive species’ potential ranges. Managers are also concerned with assessing invasion risk to identify areas most at risk of invasion, and these areas can also be influenced by changing climate. Additionally, potential management actions for invasive species can also be influenced by climate. Through all these examples, I will show how models of invasive species considering current and future climate can help land managers develop climate-smart management protocols by prioritizing monitoring and early detection rapid response actions to high-risk invasives.
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Invasive species are a top concern of resource managers and are already shifting their ranges as they spread after initial introduction and establishment. Species distribution models are a common tool to predict where invasive species may establish under both current and future climate conditions. While these habitat suitability models can be useful, it is also important to understand their limitations. We have developed models identifying areas suitable for invasive plants that are often driven by climate. In some cases, we have developed habitat suitability models for species and applied these models to future climate scenarios to identify areas that may become climatically suitable in the future. Climate change adds another level of uncertainty in predicting invasive species’ potential ranges. Managers are also concerned with assessing invasion risk to identify areas most at risk of invasion, and these areas can also be influenced by changing climate. Additionally, potential management actions for invasive species can also be influenced by climate. Through all these examples, I will show how models of invasive species considering current and future climate can help land managers develop climate-smart management protocols by prioritizing monitoring and early detection rapid response actions to high-risk invasives.
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