March/April 2024 Newsletter Now Available!

Our next newsletter (March/April 2024) is now out! Learn more about Traditional Ecological Knowledge; register for our next webinar (this Thursday, May 9, at 11 AM), and learn more about a new toolkit to assist federal resource managers in co-producing actionable science to support public land management.

When

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.

Congratulations to Prasad Thota!

Congratulations to Prasad Thota, recipient of one of the CIRES' 2024 Graduate Student Research Awards! He is a Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering at CU Boulder advised by Prof. Balaji Rajagopalan. Last summer, he worked on an RCAP project alongside NC CASC's climate lead, Dr. Imtiaz Rangwala.

James Rattling Leaf, Sr. selected as author in First National Nature Assessment

James Rattling Leaf, Sr. (NC CASC Tribal Engagement Specialist/ CIRES Tribal Advisor) was recently announced as an author on the “Opportunities for America’s Nature” chapter in the First National Nature Assessment.

New Actionable Science Toolkit

A new toolkit aims to assist federal resource managers in co-producing actionable science to support public land management, which supports knowledge and tools that are accessible, convenient, and relevant to agency work.

Webinar Recording Now Available

Did you miss the NC CASC webinar on April 11, 2024? This presentation discussed 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.

James Rattling Leaf, Sr. Speaking at Upcoming HydroSciences Student Symposium

James Rattling Leaf, Sr. will be speaking at the 2024 HydroSciences Student Symposium on April 11!

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

There is an increasing demand to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science for climate change adaptation. However, the challenge lies in how climate, ecological, and social scientists can collaborate equitably with Tribal communities to achieve this.