Announcing NW CASC’s FY18 Project Portfolio

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The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is pleased to announce funding for ten new projects in Federal Fiscal Year 2018 that will bring scientists and natural resource managers together to help fish, wildlife and ecosystems adapt to climate change. These projects represent an investment in improving climate adaptation strategies for aquatic, forest and shrubland ecosystems and species in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Each project will involve collaboration with natural and cultural resource managers in the Northwest, consistent with the NW CASC commitment to the delivery of actionable science. This suite of projects will engage managers from tribes, federal and state agencies and non-profit organizations across the region.

Learn About Our New Projects 

Funding Opportunity: Washington Sea Grant’s 2019 Request for Proposals

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Orca whale surfacing
Orca whale
Source: Steve Halama, Unsplash, Public Domain

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is currently requesting proposals for one- to two-year projects from investigators at academic, research, and education institutions throughout Washington. WSG is seeking to fund projects that align with one of four focus areas: healthy coastal ecosystems; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; resilient communities and economies; and ocean literacy and workforce development. WSG expects that eight to ten projects will be selected for the 2020-2021 funding cycle. Proposals may request annual budgets up to $140,000 for a total project cap of $280,000, and a 50 percent non-federal cost share or match is required. Investigators may apply for a graduate research fellow to participate in their research project.

WSG will host an Outreach Workshop to brief potential PIs on the Sea Grant program on February 7, 2019. Preliminary proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. PST on February 27.

Learn More 

Welcoming the NW CASC’s 2018-19 Research Fellows!

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The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is excited to welcome our 2018-2019 Fellows as they kick off their actionable science training this winter through their Knowledge to Action seminar course. These Fellows represent each of our five consortium universities across Washington, Idaho and Montana. In addition to receiving training in actionable science, each Fellow will conduct research in close collaboration with natural resource managers and decision-makers to produce accessible science on climate change impacts and adaptation actions in the Northwest. We are thrilled to have these new Fellows on our NW CASC team, helping advance our mission of safeguarding the natural and cultural resources of our region!

See a summary of the NW CASC fellows and their research

Kyra Freeman estimates streamflow with the USGS stream gauging method in the Upper North Fork Stillaguamish River
Former NW CASC Fellow Kyra Freeman estimating streamflow with the USGS stream gauging method in the Upper North Fork Stillaguamish River
Source: Mike Coons

NW CASC-funded Research on Refugia from Droughts and Insect Outbreaks in Northwest Forests

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As our climate changes, Northwest forests are under increasing stress from disturbances such as droughts and insect outbreaks. Refugia—areas where the impacts from disturbance are less severe than in the surrounding landscape—may promote ecosystem resilience over time and can be important for conservation and monitoring.  A new paper on NW CASC-funded research describes how certain landscape characteristics were associated with refugia from drought and insect outbreaks in a lodgepole and whitebark pine forest in southern Oregon.

In this study, researchers first identified refugia from drought and insect disturbance in a whitebark and lodgepole pine forest using remote-sensing data. They then examined how certain landscape characteristics, including topography, soil, and vegetation, influenced the presence of these refugia. This allowed researchers to better understand how certain landscape characteristics can help explain and predict disturbance refugia locations for these tree species. As droughts and insect outbreaks become more frequent or severe under climate change, conservation of refugia may become an increasingly important component of forest management. This research helps forest managers identify the types of landscape locations that might support refugia from these disturbances and support climate-smart management for forest resilience.

Read this paper

If you have trouble accessing this paper, please email nwcasc@uw.edu.

Introducing our New Logo!

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The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is proud to announce the launch of our new logo! This clean and modern look not only compliments our new website, but better represents the amazing Northwest region that we are working hard to safeguard. Although we have a new look, our mission remains – to deliver science to help fish, wildlife, water, land and people adapt to a changing climate.

We hope that the vibrant colors of our new logo evoke visions of the iconic landscapes that define the Northwest region. From the rugged coastlines, temperate rainforests and snow-covered mountains in the West, to the rolling hills, sun-drenched wheat fields and sagebrush steppe in the East, our remarkable diversity of landscapes and resources support countless plant and animal species and a range of human livelihoods. Look closely at our logo and you may also see the jagged, increasing lines of climate data – a reminder that the impacts of climate change are already being felt here in the Northwest. The need for climate change information and adaptation actions is more important now than ever, and we hope that our new look helps to recognize and energize the critical climate adaptation efforts across our region.

UW Grant Opportunity: EarthLab Innovation Grants

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Do you have an exciting idea to help tackle one of today’s pressing environmental challenges and motivate positive change? EarthLab is seeking applications for its first round of EarthLab Innovation Grants! Awards of up to $50,000 USD will be granted to project teams undertaking transdisciplinary research, scholarship and creative activities related to addressing our most urgent environmental challenges. EarthLab is “looking for risky, cool ideas with impact and the ability to motivate change.” All UW faculty and employees with PI status are eligible to apply. Applications are due January 30th, 2019.

Learn More & Apply 

NW CASC Fellow’s New Paper Evaluates Sagebrush-steppe Monitoring After Fire

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Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) Fellow Cara Applestein is the lead author on a new paper that evaluates methods of monitoring sagebrush-steppe ecosystems after disturbance events such as wildfire. Sagebrush-steppe is a type of grassland ecosystem made up of sagebrush and other native shrubs, grasses and plants that provide important ecological services, support a diversity of species and are used by the ranching industry for grazing livestock. This important ecosystem is being threatened by increasing droughts, wildfires and invasive species associated climate change.

Cara’s paper explores what landscape variables (variation in elevation, vegetation dominance, and slope) need to be considered when designing sagebrush-steppe monitoring plans. It also looks at how plot size impacts the precision of vegetation sampling. The results can be used to help design monitoring plans aimed at assessing how sagebrush-steppe ecosystems respond to wildfire events and other disturbances. Collecting better information about vegetation conditions in the sagebrush-steppe following disturbances such as wildfire can help managers make more informed decisions to protect this fragile ecosystem.

Cara is also conducting research on how sagebrush, invasive annual grasses and perennial bunchgrasses will interact under future climate scenarios. Her research seeks to understand how changes in temperature and precipitation affect the post-fire interactions among these grasses. The results of this research may help inform land managers’ decisions about restoration options.

Read this paper

(If you have trouble accessing Cara’s new paper on sagebrush-steppe monitoring, please email nwcasc@uw.edu)

Sagebrush steppe in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, southwest Wyoming
Sagebrush steppe in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, southwest Wyoming
Source: Tom Koerner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

Volume 2 of the 4th National Climate Assessment Now Available

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On November 23rd, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released Volume 2 of the 4th National Climate Assessment – a congressionally-mandated synthesis of climate science and the observed and projected impacts of climate change across the United States. This report is the result of a three-year effort by hundreds of experts around the country. The Climate Impacts Group served as a co-author on the Northwest chapter. Check out the report’s key messages about the Northwest region here.

The full report and all of the regional chapters and executive summaries are available at: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/

Please direct questions about this report and the regional implications to Dr. Heidi Roop & Dr. Amy Snover 

 

Application Period Open for National Science to Action Fellowship Program

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We are excited to announce the opportunity to apply for a Science to Action Fellowship, provided through a partnership between the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC) and Michigan State University (MSU). This program supports Master’s and Doctoral Students in directly applying scientific research related to climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, or ecosystems to decision making about natural resources.

During this one-year fellowship and beyond, Fellows benefit from collaborations with university and USGS mentors, from interactions with other colleagues and partners of USGS, and from exposure to high-priority, real-world challenges in the natural resources policy arena.

The program is open to Master’s and Doctoral students at any Climate Adaptation Science Center consortium institution. In the Northwest, these institutions are University of Washington, Western Washington University, Washington State University, Boise State University and University of Montana. Students must be enrolled at the institution for the entire fellowship year.

 Applications for the 2019 Science to Action Fellowship accepted starting November 1, 2018. Statements of Interest are due by January 25, 2019. Learn more about the requirements here. For more information about the NW Climate Adaptation Science Center, contact the consortium Co-PI at your university.

Learn more about the program

CASC network map & consortiums
CASC network map & consortiums

 

New Resources Support Tribes in Preparing for Climate Change

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The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, in collaboration with tribal partners, has developed a collection of resources that may be useful to tribes at any stage in the process of evaluating their vulnerability to climate change.