Abstract (from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1590/full): Ecohydrological responses to climate change will exhibit spatial variability and understanding the spatial pattern of ecological impacts is critical from a land management perspective. To quantify climate change impacts on spatial patterns of ecohydrology across shrub steppe ecosystems in North America, we asked the following question: How will climate change impacts on ecohydrology differ in magnitude and variability across climatic gradients, among three big sagebrush ecosystems (SB-Shrubland, SB-Steppe, SB-Montane), and among Sage-grouse Management Zones? We explored these potential changes for mid-century for RCP8.5 using a process-based water balance model (SOILWAT) for 898 big sagebrush sites using site- and scenario-specific inputs. We summarize changes in available soil water (ASW) and dry days, as these ecohydrological variables may be helpful in guiding land management decisions about where to geographically concentrate climate change mitigation and adaptation resources. Our results suggest that during spring, soils will be wetter in the future across the western United States, while soils will be drier in the summer. The magnitude of those predictions differed depending on geographic position and the ecosystem in question: Larger increases in mean daily spring ASW were expected for high-elevation SB-Montane sites and the eastern and central portions of our study area. The largest decreases in mean daily summer ASW were projected for warm, dry, mid-elevation SB-Montane sites in the central and west-central portions of our study area (decreases of up to 50%). Consistent with declining summer ASW, the number of dry days was projected to increase rangewide, but particularly for SB-Montane and SB-Steppe sites in the eastern and northern regions. Collectively, these results suggest that most sites will be drier in the future during the summer, but changes were especially large for mid- to high-elevation sites in the northern half of our study area. Drier summer conditions in high-elevation, SB-Montane sites may result in increased habitat suitability for big sagebrush, while those same changes will likely reduce habitat suitability for drier ecosystems. Our work has important implications for where land managers should prioritize resources for the conservation of North American shrub steppe plant communities and the species that depend on them.
Other Landscapes
Researchers with the North Central Climate Science Center have made substantial progress in assessing the impacts of climate and land use change on wildlife and ecosystems across the region. Building on this progress, researchers will work with stakeholders to identify adaptation strategies and inform resource management in the areas that will be most affected by changing conditions. There are several components of this project. First, researchers will use the Department of Interior “resource briefs” as a mechanism to communicate information to resource managers on climate and land use change and their impacts to resources. These briefs will support coordinated management of ecosystems that contain public, private, and tribal lands. Researchers will also inform the development of a multi-state management plan for wolverine, a species being considered for listing, by providing forecasts of how wolverine habitat might change as climate conditions and land use change. Finally, researchers will work with federal and private resource managers in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and High Divide regions to develop management guidelines under different possible future climate conditions. This project will support resource managers throughout the North Central region in understanding how conditions might change and identifying potential climate adaptation strategies. This project team is part of the North Central Climate Science Center’s Ecological Impacts Foundational Science Area Team, which supports foundational research and advice, guidance, and technical assistance to other NC CSC projects as they address climate science challenges that are important for land managers and ecologists in the region.
Fragmentation extent of six ecosystem types after European Settlement was analyzed using LANDFIRE data. The ecosystem types includes: Grassland, Shrubland, Conifer, Riparian, Hardwood and Sparse ecosystems. The land use change and fragmentation extents have been analyzed by delineating nine Greater Wildland Ecosystems (GWEs) across NCCSC.
Fragmentation extent of six ecosystem types after European Settlement was analyzed using LANDFIRE data. The ecosystem types includes: Grassland, Shrubland, Conifer, Riparian, Hardwood and Sparse ecosystems. The land use change and fragmentation extents have been analyzed by delineating nine Greater Wildland Ecosystems (GWEs) across NCCSC.
This is a combined shapefile of all Greater Widland Ecosystems. We first created shapefiles for each GWE using hydrological units, contiguous habitat, human influence (25 km buffer) taking into account of federal, private, and tribal lands. We then combined them.
Fragmentation extent of six ecosystem types after European Settlement was analyzed using LANDFIRE data. The ecosystem types includes: Grassland, Shrubland, Conifer, Riparian, Hardwood and Sparse ecosystems. The land use change and fragmentation extents have been analyzed by delineating nine Greater Wildland Ecosystems (GWEs) across NCCSC.
Fragmentation extent of six ecosystem types after European Settlement was analyzed using LANDFIRE data. The ecosystem types includes: Grassland, Shrubland, Conifer, Riparian, Hardwood and Sparse ecosystems. The land use change and fragmentation extents have been analyzed by delineating nine Greater Wildland Ecosystems (GWEs) across NCCSC.
Fragmentation extent of six ecosystem types after European Settlement was analyzed using LANDFIRE data. The ecosystem types includes: Grassland, Shrubland, Conifer, Riparian, Hardwood and Sparse ecosystems. The land use change and fragmentation extents have been analyzed by delineating nine Greater Wildland Ecosystems (GWEs) across NCCSC.
Fragmentation extent of six ecosystem types after European Settlement was analyzed using LANDFIRE data. The ecosystem types includes: Grassland, Shrubland, Conifer, Riparian, Hardwood and Sparse ecosystems. The land use change and fragmentation extents have been analyzed by delineating nine Greater Wildland Ecosystems (GWEs) across NCCSC.